


A Yāo Guài's Journey

by JDTheGodOfSalt



Category: Street Fighter
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:55:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 34,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26726269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDTheGodOfSalt/pseuds/JDTheGodOfSalt
Summary: A not so simple op in Colombia brings Hong Kong's true top Martial Artist in the eyes of Shadaloo, his former Gang, as well as a myriad of others. All because he wanted to avoid doing time in Jail. Join Yao, as he tells his story from the end of Alpha 3 to the end of SF V with bits and pieces of Final Fight in between. Pairing not decided yet.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 1





	1. Parole or Probation

"Agh, shit."

"Yao! Get your useless ass up right now and keep fighting!" Belger barked at me.

He obviously couldn't tell that I've been beaten while dark blood leaked out of my nose, my ears ringing. Yet, this lazy bastard is telling me to continue.

"I owed you a debt, Belger. *Cough* *Cough* But I'm not dying for you like one of your braindead cronies," I defied his orders, struggling to stand. "I should've never left Hong Kong; worst four years of my life."

"If I had spare soldiers, I would send reinforcements. Surely you can't blame me?" Belger said, feigning innocence.

"You wouldn't have to rely on a foreigner for protection if you invested in more competent soldiers. Your crew is relentless, I'll give them that. But they can't fight for shit, even your higher-ups." I berated him and his Gang.

"Stand down, Yao," Haggar interjected. "You've said it yourself. You've taken a beating. If only one of us showed, then you might have won. All of us? That's lunacy. Your debt has been paid." He stared at Belger. "He owes you nothing anymore."

"I don't need your reassurance, Mayor. *Cough* *Cough*

"Damn it all! My use for you has finally drained, Yao. Fine! You'll die with them! All while little Jessica watches!" Belger spoke, practically letting me loose.

Like he lasted much longer after that. Travers punched him so hard, Belger went through the window and fell 20 stories to his death. The girl is ok, thankfully. I snorted out the blood that clogged my nostrils so I can breathe naturally.

"Yao, catch."

Travers tossed me a towel. "So you weren't with the Mad Gears this whole time?"

"No. I owed Belger my life, and serving as his bodyguard was the way I paid it." I snorted again, getting rid of the leftover blood before clearing my face. "I hated every second of it, I assure you. The only thing on my mind now is heading back to Hong Kong."

"You're not going to let those bruises heal? We roughed you up pretty bad, y'know?" he asked.

"Believe me, Travers. I've dealt with worse. I'll be fine." I turned to his girlfriend, being comforted by Haggar. "No hard feelings, Jessica?"

She shook her head. "I had a feeling you were a good person from day one. You made being here bearable, Yao. Thank you."

**Yao, Aberdeen's Unsung Hero**

**Date of Birth:** February 12

**Birthplace:** Aberdeen, Hong Kong, China

**Height:** 6'2

**Weight:** 155 lbs

**Favorite Color:** Forest Green (Same color as his robes)

**Likes:** Familial Bonds, Martial Arts, Settling Down, The Final Fight Trio, Jessica Haggar, Ramen, and Chinese Lo Mein, Xiayu and Jianyu (The Chinese Dolls.), The World Warriors, The New Challengers (especially Cammy) Bullying the School District Martial Artists, the Marketplace District of Aberdeen.

**Dislikes:** The Mad Gear Gang, Belger, The Four Kings (Sagat Included), Jail, Shadaloo, and its sub-branches, talking about his time in Mad Gear, his innumerable scars, Gen.

**Blood Type:** AB

**Fighting Style:** Xinyi Liuhe Quan mixed with Breakdancing and CQC.

**Stage of Choice:** The Tiger Balm Gardens at Night.

**Fun Fact:** At some point, Yao resided in every inhabitable continent. He's fluent in English, Japanese, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese dialects), and sign language.

"I've seen the people who reside here, the competition not too fierce. We should all go before Edi.E shows up and arrests us, being a corrupt cop and all. I know a way out through the back. Follow me."

I led them to a second elevator that only Belger (and I know through sneaking looks) knows about that went to the building's back alley. I have no clue what the lazy bastard used it for, but it got us out quickly.

"You all should get going. I have to look into flights back to Hong Kong," I said to the reunited group.

"You're leaving Metro City?" Travers asked.

"I left Hong Kong for four years to see the world. America was the last stop in my journey. Plus, if I stay, Edi.E will pinch me for being Belger's bodyguard. The quicker I leave for Aberdeen, the better."

"I'll look into that for you, Yao," Haggar offered.

I shot his offer down. "You owe me nothing, Mayor. After owing one man something, I refuse to owe another man a favor as good-natured as you are. I can't accept your offer."

He laughed lightly. "I  _ am _ the Mayor, as you said. Like you have any pull with me." Haggar placed his large hand on my shoulder. "I'll get you on the first flight out. You also need a place to lay your head, right?"

"You've already done too much, Haggar. I already owe you for the plane ticket you're gonna get me."

"Fine. Cody, you take him," he told him.

"Wha? Why do I gotta take him?"

"Because Jessica needs to stay with me tonight. It'll only be for one night."

"Fine. You can crash with me. Let's go, Yao."

"Uh-huh, lead the way."

After making it to his apartment, Cody quickly laid down where everything was. "Kitchen's straight ahead, the bathroom is in the back. Only one bed, so you got the couch, I'm afraid."

I shrugged. "Better than nothing," I said as my stomach growls. "Got anything to eat?"

"Nah, not anything is done. Can you cook?"

"I can make some solid Lo Mein," I tell him. "You got noodles?"

He sat on my temporary bed. "Check the cabinets. If not, I can make a quick stop to the store."

I checked the cabinets and saw a sizable amount with some spices. "This should do. Give me like half."

"An hour? Got it. I'll get out of your hair," Cody said before leaning on the couch.

After the food was done, I got a plate for myself and one for him, handing him his serving. "Looks delicious. Cheers."

"Cheers," I replied back as we ate in silence.

Out of the blue, he struck up a conversation. "Where'd you learn to fight? That was some insane shit I saw back at the Mad Gear building."

"My uncle taught me the basis of the Oldest documentation of Long Fist, Xinyi Liuhe Quan when I was a little boy. We used to go and beat the Martial Artists in Aberdeen's School District as an exercise. I learned a bit of Capoeira while staying in Brazil, and some Krav Maga in the Middle East. Combine all that, and you have my style, though I don't like to add the breakdancing and Krava Maga unless I'm desperate. The Xinyi Liuhe Quan is almost always enough," I explained.

"How come you didn't bust those out when you fought us? Got fed up with being Belger's bodyguard?"

"That, and you three beat my ass so quickly, I didn't have time to incorporate them in time."

Cody laughed at my answer. "Yeah, we did beat the shit out of you, huh?" He then ate some more of the Lo Mein. "Wow, this is some good noodles! Did your uncle teach you how to cook too?"

"Grandpa did. He told me the basics; the rest was self-taught. I have a photographic memory and saw some chefs make it like this in Shanghai. It was easy after a few attempts," I said while finishing my food. I go to place the plate and fork in the sink. "Alright, Travers. It's getting late. I need some shut-eye."

"Fair enough. I'll finish this and head to sleep myself."

Cody got up and went to his room as I laid down on the couch, grabbing one of the cushions as a pillow before falling asleep instantly.

**Two days later:**

Haggar got my ticket to Kowloon. Fifteen and a half hours to go, and I'll be back home. Can't say I won't miss Metro City, but at least Haggar, Cody, Guy, and Jessica are decent folk.

"Well, Yao. This is it. Are you sure you don't want a new passport or something? You'll most likely get arrested when you get back," Haggar offered.

"Thanks, but it's illegal. Besides, I need to pay for my bad karma. Suffering begets suffering after all. I'm resigned to my fate. The only difference is I'm going to suffer back home as opposed to here."

"Last call for the 8:50 flight to Kowloon, Hong Kong."

"That's my cue. I'll see you all later," I said my goodbyes as I gave the flight attendant my boarding pass. I hopped on the plane and got comfortable in my seat.

The flight was relatively smooth, my choice to sleep helping with the long hours. I deboarded the plane and made my way through customs. It was my turn with the officer.

"歡迎回到香港。 請護照。(Welcome back to Hong Kong. Passport please.)"

"俾你. (Here you go.)"

He examined my passport picture and then glanced at me for double-checking. Giving off a skeptical look, he reverted to his natural expressing, giving me back my Passport.

"直行。(Straight ahead.)" Was all he said.

"多谢警官。(Thanks, officer.)" I said as I followed through. Looking back, he began talking in through his walkie. Shit. I breezed through the rest of Customs, thankfully. But when I exited the airport...

*Wooooh*

Police Sirens. Crap. HKPD (Hong Kong Police Department), I'm assuming Kowloon District.

"凍結! 香港警察! 手到我能看見的地方! (Freeze! Hong Kong Police! Hands where I can see them!)"

I dropped my duffel bag and placed my hands in front of my stomach with both wrists together, telling them that I'm coming quietly. One of the cops came up and cuffed me after putting his pistol away. Thankfully, he grabbed my bag for me and chucked it into the police car.

On the way to the police station, he started asking questions. "English?"

"I'm fluent, officer."

"You know what we arrested you for?"

"No, but I get the feeling you're about to tell me."

"Couple of things. Most notably, you're involved with the Mad Gear Gang. Underground fighting on top of that, but the former is the big one. Even if you plead guilty, you'll be looking at some heavy time in the cell."

"Goody. If you're trying to make me feel better, you're doing a pretty shitty job," I dryly replied. "Just be glad I decided to come quietly instead of attacking you and the officers first."

"Still have a sense of humor. We'll see if you can retain it in front of the judge, Yao."

"Skipping the interrogation? That's against protocol, officer," I called him out for his corrupt thinking.

"Tch. A know-it-all, eh? Whatever, we can't do anything with you anyway. We may have arrested you, but Interpol put out the arrest warrant," the officer explained as we arrived at the station. "Have fun."

His last words were said with malice. The door opened, and I'm escorted out of the car.

"Make sure you grab my bag,  _ officer _ ."

"Uh-huh, this way," he said blandly while grabbing my bag, leading me to an interrogation room. "Your interrogator will be here shortly."

"Can you get these cuffs off me? I came quietly and won't be planning anything."

He simply eyed my cuffed hands than me and left the room.

"Who knew the Kowloon District would be so fucking dirty?" I asked myself.

Minutes passed on the clock as it spun without interruption. Are they planning on starving me in here?

Soon enough, the door opened again, and I finally met eye-to-eye with my interrogator - A woman, an admittedly voluptuous woman with toned, shapely legs. She looked a little younger than me with two cups in her hand, coffee I assumed it was.

"Sorry I took so long, I was getting coffee for us, and the line was longer than I thought. Here you go," she greeted me before placing my coffee in front of me. "I don't know your tastes, so I hope you like your coffee sweet."

She couldn't be dirty. A welcome change, that's for sure. I move to take the coffee.

"Thanks, officer. I am thirsty," I said before motioning for the cup.

"You're still cuffed? I told the officers to uncuff you when they got you in here." She seemed annoyed at the fact.

"The cops who brought me in were dirty. I'm convinced every one of them in this district is, actually," I answered.

"You wouldn't be wrong. Wait a sec, I'll get the keys. Plus, I need to get your file anyway."

She left the room. I grabbed the coffee and took a sip despite my hands being close together. Wow, sweet is correct, but I had and made worse cups. Anyway, the officer entered the room with the keys in one hand, my file in the other. She placed my file down first before walking towards me.

"Here, let me get these off." She placed the keys inside the hole to unshackle me.

The cuffs were loose, and I got them off of my wrists.

"Thanks, officer."

"Please, call me Chun-Li," she finally introduced herself.

I nodded in acceptance. "Ok, Chun."

I felt on my wrists that went numb from being restrained for so long. "So, Legs. How much time am I looking at?"

She cringed when I called her Legs. Note to self, don't call her that.

"Sorry."

Chun-Li sat across from me. "It's alright, my peers at Interpol call me that all the time. I'm used to it."

"Still, you winced upon reaction when I said it. So I'll make a note to not call you that. Unless I'm angry with you, then all bets are off."

"Fair enough." She began viewing my file. "So, Yao. You're from Aberdeen, correct?"

"Born and raised."

"Then why were you in Metro City?"

"When I was eighteen, I packed up, said my temporary goodbyes to my uncle, and told him I'll be traveling the world for a while. I've been in and lived in every inhabitable continent. Metro City was my last stop."

"I can assume you came back because you're done traveling. How long were you in Metro City for?"

"Four years roughly. If you want an exact period, around three years, ten months. But I'm 22 now, so four years in technicality."

"In your file, it says you were roped into joining the Mad Gear Gang. How did that come about?"

I sighed. "I was stabbed and was left for dead after seeing through someone trying to hustle me. Belger was the one who found me, and his doctor nursed me back to health. The only way I can pay him back was to be his bodyguard, so he said. I knew he would most likely kill me before I could escape, so I took him up on his offer."

"You decided that?"

"I was eighteen, Chun. Experience in the real world was something I lacked back then."

"What is Belger's status now?"

"Dead," I answered bluntly.

"Huh? You killed him?"

"What? No! I don't take lives. That kind of karma will merely get me killed in retaliation."

"Are you a Buddhist?"

"Not a complete one, but I follow the main principles: No killing, lying, stealing, the works. I'm all for peace and love, Chun, but if you're not down with that and get in my way of trying to maintain those principles, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. That's why I say I'm not a complete Buddhist. They swear an oath of non-violence. I'm not that ignorant to the ways of the world, as I've previously mentioned," I explained.

"Then who killed him?"

"The Mayor of Metro City, a Ninja, and the Mayor's Daughter's Boyfriend. Punched him through a window, and he fell twenty stories. Belger was a big guy, but wasn't superhuman."

"So why did you leave Metro City?" Chun pressed. "You could've possibly avoided arrest if you stayed."

"Correct. I could've avoided being arrested for my involvement with the Mad Gears. Among them was a dirty cop, one of the highest-ranking members. His name's Edi.E. Tall, possibly fat, always wears his police uniform, usually carries a nightstick and a six-shooter. He has an extremely raggedy beard. He could've arrested me and formulate a list of crimes I didn't commit."

"Why would he do that? He and you were on the same side for a while."

"Because he holds grudges. The first day on the job, he threatened to throw me in jail if I showed incompetence. I retaliated by breaking his nose. He's been out for me ever since. If I was going to get pinched, I'd rather it be here. HKPD is dirty, but not Edi.E dirty."

"So, it's safe to assume you didn't enjoy your time with them?"

"It is and then some. I hated every member of that fucked up crew. From the peons to the high ups. Damnd, Sodom, and Abigail especially pissed me off."

"Why them specifically?"

"Damnd loved being a sniveling piece of garbage. Sodom's a cultural appropriator of Japan, and Abigail doesn't know how to shut the hell up," I answered, anger seeping slightly in my tone.

"Were you the best fighter in the Mad Gear Gang?"

"Yes. I beat every last member of the Mad Gears single-handedly, multiple times. They were all terrible fighters."

"No wonder Belger wanted you to be his bodyguard. Now, let's see here..." Chun continued scanning my file before gasping. "You're fluent in four languages?"

"English, as you can see, Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, and sign language."

"You know how to sign?"

"(Those pants make your ass look big.)" I sign.

*Gasp* "They do!?"

"Sorry, didn't want to be rude," I told her.

"Oh, that's just embarrassing," she said before asking me about the last noticeable fact on my file. "How do you know Gen?"

"He's my grandfather, taught me the basics of cooking. We don't talk much, though."

"Why's that?"

"He killed his son, my dad. An argument got heated between them. Punches were thrown before Gen stopped his heart from beating. Dad passed away as a result. I don't like to talk about Grandpa, so please change the subject," I requested.

"Where do you think the rest of the Mad Gear Gang is?"

"Most likely still in Metro City. It's only been two days since Belger died. They're probably waiting for the heat to die down before going about their business. If they were smart, they'd stay in Metro City. But most of them have room temp IQs." I reply honestly.

"Well," Chun started. "With this information and your deadpan honesty, I can greatly reduce your sentence, if not completely erase it. The worst sentence at this point is parole. In your file, it says you're Master Martial Artist. Consistent in street fights across the world for your travel fare is evident. I have a proposition for you, Yao. If you're willing to help me out with a few things, I'll overwrite the parole and place it in you on probation."

"Anything to avoid a jail cell," I answered.

"Great!" She exclaimed. "What do you know of a group called Shadaloo?"

"Next to nothing though they're practically the biggest terrorist group in the world," I answered honestly before chugging the rest of my coffee. "Thanks again for the coffee. It was good. Next time, cut back on the sweet a little."

"Noted. As for Shadaloo, they dip their fingers into anything illegal, but their main shtick is weapons dealing and biochemical drug construction. They have bases in Thailand and Brazil, but recently a source of their power is hidden away in Colombia," she divulged. "If you help me destroy whatever the hell is in Colombia, I'll place you under probation as opposed to parole. What do you say?"

"That would be nice. But if my suffering isn't from me doing time, then what will it be from?" I asked no one specifically.

"Maybe you'll die out in Colombia?" Chun joked, and I gave her a stern look. "Sorry, I got to have my kicks too."

"Kicks, huh? You do have jokes, Legs." I snapped back. "Fine, I'll go with you to Colombia."

"Wonderful! I'll tell the officers that you'll be under my protective custody and remain immune from them and the rest the PD. You can crash at my apartment for the time being. I'll be back to tell you the details later."

We both stood up, the interrogation finally over. I stretched out my back as the chair made my spine stiff.

Shortly after that, Chun came back in. "Alright, we're good to go. Come on."

I followed her out to her car. We got in as she drove us back to her apartment, the night sky occasionally brightening the car's exterior. As we entered the front door, I did a silent observation. Quaint enough for one person and comfortable from the looks of it.

"Here we are. The futon in the living room is yours. I'll get you some sheets and a pillow."

I yawned and stretched before scratching my head. "Cheers, Chun."

Sitting on the futon felt multiple times softer than Cody's couch. My eyes grew heavy after spending my entire day getting assaulted with questions. At least I'll get a solid night's sleep even with the rest I took on the flight over here. The jetlag hit me like a truck.

"Here, Yao. You get to bed. I want to wake up early tomorrow."

"Thanks, Chun. See you in the morning," I bid goodnight to her.

She smiled. "See you in the morning... partner."

Chun headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. I eased within the sheets and futon, resting against the pillow. My eyes closed as I instantly lost consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And so that concludes the Prologue Part One for my Street Fighter Project, starring Yao.
> 
> I said before in an MoI that Aki would be the center character, but after looking back on it, Yao is better to write a story around. While giving Yao more details in his background, I realized he's without the most humane of my OCs. Most of them are superhuman somehow, and if not, they're not human at all. With Yao, he's merely an extremely talented Martial Artist. Every feat he does and will do is entirely possible by humane standards.
> 
> I loosely modeled Yao and his fighting style after Gato from Mark of the Wolves. Not the personality, though. Where Gato is always stoic and ruthless, Yao stays humble and easy-going. He respects others and is respected by his peers, if not feared. His color scheme and attire are based on Gato's green outfit from Mark of the Wolves, so green Kung Fu Robes with dark brown pants and shoes with white Socks. He also has black wrist bands hiding in his sleeves. Although his hair takes more inspiration from Long who's from Bloody Roar, a long ponytail as opposed to a long braid. The same shaped Bangs as Gato are present, though.
> 
> His voice is very loose and calm. Think Kakashi but more profound and aloof sounding. Almost sounds like he's floating his words together.   
> I'll see you all later.


	2. A Plan Formulates

I awoke peacefully and comfortably, a first in years after being in Metro City for so long. Scanning my surroundings, I heard no sound besides the ones I made. The door to Chun-Li's room was open, her bed empty and unmade. She must be out somewhere.

"I need a shower," I concluded before off the futon.

Finding a towel and a rag, I began shuffling to where bathroom shower was. I took off my clothes and placed everything in an accessible location before I clean myself off, using this as a moment to think of what I may be doing today.

_ 'Chun said she'd give me the details of the Colombia trip later, which most likely means today. The day and time that we leave will probably be a part of that. Here's hoping for some clarity.' _

After drying off, I exited the bathroom and saw that Chun-Li hadn't come back yet. Must've been important for her not to return. I decided to pass time by meditating, something I did every morning as it was one of the few things Belger granted me. Sitting on the rug in front of the futon, I get into position and took a few deep breaths before closing my eyes.

The sounds around me, the light whirring of the fan above, the humming of the air conditioner and fridge faded into silence. I felt the malice building within me was slowly leaking out of my pores. My body went numb as my mind dove deeper into this spiritual session. Time slowed to a crawl, each deep breath echoing in my ears. They soon evolved into a soft passing breeze, like a smooth stream of water. A temporary ascension, a finite escape, a moment of zen.

As if an otherworldly force pulled me back into reality, my eyes opened. My breathing regulated as I swiftly regained feeling in my body.

"Yao? Can you hear me?" Chun asked me.

I look around but can't see her. "Behind you."

Craning my neck, I looked behind me and there she was in a more casual outfit than her detective getup, though her smile remained.

"I can now," I replied, turning back around to stand. Putting my robes back on, I get up off the rug. "How long were you calling for me?"

"About half an hour. I brought some coffee like you requested yesterday, but I'm positive it's cold now," she admitted.

"Ah. Just throw it in the microwave for 30 second." I began stretching my limbs out. "I'll chug it when it's done."

"Will do," Chun accepted as she grabbed my cup to place in her microwave. "Is meditation something you do every day?"

I sat down on the futon. "I make an attempt to do it every morning. I also used your shower, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. If you don't mind my asking," Chun began as she handed me my reheated coffee. "I saw your scars on your torso and arms. Were those from the Mad Gears?"

I chugged my coffee, downing the contents in a few gulps. "No. I received all my scars before I arrived in Metro City. Most of them from the fights I partook in, defending others when they couldn't defend themselves. The three large ones came from a Brown Bear in a forest near Shanghai. Apparently, he awoke early from his hibernation and was agitated. Therefore, I had to kill it. I didn't want to but I had to defend myself."

Chun-Li was bewildered. "You killed a bear?"

"Yes. My scars are something I don't like talking about, as that string of karma ended up with me being Belger's bodyguard," I explained as I threw the coffee cup away. "Whatever, it's in the past. Thanks to you, I've had my first good night of sleep in years and a relatively clear conscience, so I'm grateful. So, are we going to go over the details of our excursion to Colombia?"

"Yes, let's go get something to eat. I'll explain on the way and when we get our table."

"Sounds like a plan. When do we head out?" I asked.

She grabbed my arm and practically dragged me to her car. "Let's go."

We both got in the car and headed to wherever the restaurant was since Chun never specified the location.

"So, Yao..."

"Yes?"

"Before traveling the world, what did you do in Aberdeen?" she inquired.

"I was raised under the eyes of my uncle Guai, and until I was ten, my Mom Jie. Uncle was the one who taught me how to fight. Mom taught me manners, etiquette, and my various languages." I answered.

"Why'd she leave?"

"She wanted to open a school for Wing Chun in Aberdeen's School District. But despite being the best practitioner, they wouldn't let her simply because she was a woman. So she went to open her school in Japan."

"That's horrible." Chun expressed her disgust with the events.

"It was. Uncle promised to look after me alone when she departed. Our family, as well as the Marketplace District, never liked the Martial Artists from the School District as they acted like they owned the city. After Mom left, to help with my training, we would go to the School District and challenge their brightest pupils. By the time I was eleven, I was beating guys twice my age with ease. Uncle said I learned quickly even for our family's standards. We would do this every other week until I turned eighteen when I decided to take a temporary leave from Hong Kong."

"Have you heard from your mother since she left?"

I shook my head. "No, but she left on what I think are the best terms with Uncle Guai and myself. She's amazing from what I remember, so I can imagine that she did open her school, if not found a respectable way of living." 

The ride remained silent for a bit until I saw a poster of Fei Long.

I was in slight disbelief. "Fei Long?"

"You know him?"

"He and his older sister are friends of the family. His Uncle runs the Long school of Jun Fan in Aberdeen and Mom taught him and his sister Wing Chun. They're also prodigious Martial Artist. He used to bug me for sparring matches when we were young."

"He's from Aberdeen?"

"His parents were. He's from Kowloon. Before I left, he told me he would be a Film Star. I thought he was joking, but with his face plastered on a billboard, it seems that I was the one who was fooled."

"How many times have you sparred together?"

"80 times. The record is 65-15 in my favor. But despite losing to me most of the time, he enjoys our spars. He tends to come up with creative ways of attacking when he fights me. It was during one encounter that he came up with the Shienkyaku. Ironically, his sister is more prodigious with Jun Fan than he is despite not being as devout with the practice." I answered while slouched in the passenger seat. "So, where'd you head this morning? I woke up, and you were gone."

"I was reporting your interrogation to my Superior Officer. He's the one who gave me the approval to pitch your help for Colombia. Your freedom and probation are now official. For the time being, you're legally under my custody. We finish Colombia, you'll be on probation with me as your PO." She answered clearly. "We're here. I'll explain everything else when we get to our table."

Chun pulled up and found a parking spot. "Alright, let's go."

We both get out of the car and quickly found our table before sitting down. Chun then started explaining the ins and outs after we place our drink orders. "Ok, so the man running Shadaloo is named M. Bison."

"What does the M stand for?"

"No clue. His main base of operations is in Thailand and Brazil. The reason why we're heading to Colombia is a piece of technology that gives him power is located there."

"What's it called?"

"Psycho Drive. It's used to help Bison resurrect himself as well as granting other abilities. Bison is unstoppable at this point. Destroying the Psycho Drive will severely weaken him. That's why we're heading to Colombia."

"Just us two? Chun, I may be powerful, but just from the rumors I've heard about Bison, wouldn't it be smarter to bring a few more people on this?" I questioned this plan.

"We're not going to pick fights with his men, only tamper and or destroy the Psycho Drive. Believe me, I fought Bison, and a confrontation with him isn't what we want."

She's tougher than she looks.

"It must've been a quick confrontation then," I quipped.

"Don't remind me," Chun sternly enforced. "One of my sources revealed the base's location where the Psycho Drive is hidden. We fly to Colombia in two days, take a car to the nearest city walk the rest of the way. When we arrive, we'll rig the Psycho Drive with explosives, blow it up, and escape. If you have to fight, keep it short."

"I'm assuming we're destroying the Psycho Drive to weaken Bison so he can be killed? Correct?"

"I thought you don't kill people, Yao?" she jumped to a conclusion.

"I never said that I was going to do it. The way he sounds, I hope I never meet the guy. But if he's done all these things while being unapologetic, why would you think an arrest will stop him? The world won't know peace unless he dies." I whispered to not earn the other patrons' attention.

"We can discuss personal philosophy after you get put off parole." She said aggressively.

I backed off, must've touched a soft spot. "Fair enough. Do I have to buy my own ticket?"

"Yours has already been paid. We can worry about that later. For now..." Our food and drinks came out on cue. "Let's eat."

We ate in comfortable silence, and since this was our first meal of the day, we were rightly starved. While the food was delicious, Chun knowing her spots weren't the highlight of the trip. In the middle of our meal, a guy who looked so uptown, you can feel the superiority complex walked up to our table. Completely ignoring me, he started to chat up Chun.

"Excuse me, Miss. I happened to notice you sitting across from this ruffian, and I couldn't just let a pretty young lady lower herself with a low-class wrench like him. Why not come and sit with me?"

He's blunt, I'll give him that.

"He's not my date. I'm his Parole Officer. You shouldn't make assumptions like that. It's bad for your health," Chun countered as she continued eating.

"You're a Police Officer?"

"Detective with Interpol but close enough," she answered, taking out her badge to flash in his face.

Taking the loss, he then shifted his attitude toward me. "What could you have possibly done? You don't look like you can defend yourself."

"I just like my robes to be a little baggy. Helps me breathe. If you want to know, I was in a Criminal Organization for four years. I've beaten a lot of people who both look and probably are tougher than you, rich boy," I said dismissively before drinking the soup that came with my meal.

"Hmph. I bet I can take you," he instigated.

I continued to drink the soup, ignoring him. Then, the bastard tried to punch me, but I telegraphed it and lean into my bowl, causing his punch to fly behind my head. I finished my soup and breathed with satisfaction.

"That was good, soup," I said to Chun. "Let's pay the bill and leave, eh?"

Once again, the neanderthal attempted another punch. I placed the empty boul in front of my face, his fist connecting against the glass - a few cracks showing as he broke his fingers. We got up as I placed the bowl on the table before patting the idiot's shoulder. One quick palm to his cheek knocked him out instantly.

We paid the bill and headed back to the car to drive back to the apartment.

"That was some quick thinking with the bowl, Yao," Chun chatted me up.

"He was pushing for a fight trying to earn your affections through classicism. Seems like Hong Kong didn't change as much as I thought these past four years."

"Not just here. China and Japan have it worse," she elaborated before her tone changed to playful. "But changing topics slightly. How come you didn't defend me?"

"You're a grown ass woman, Chun. I'm not your father. You can defend yourself. I'll intervene if things get violent. Besides, I was famished."

Silence. Ouch... must've been something I said again.

"Bison killed my father. He told me this in person the last time we fought. I swore vengeance that very moment," Chun admitted darkly.

That's why she was touchy about my proposal of killing Bison instead of sending him to jail. "Gen taught us in China while maintaining his restaurant. That's why I was shocked when you told me that you were Gen's grandson. I'm sorry for being aggressive back there."

"None taken, Chun. It was a sensitive topic. Feeling powerless is something I'm lucky enough to never have experienced."

"Thanks. That palm you gave that guy looked fierce. I want to spar with you a bit when we get back. I feel like you can help refine my skill."

"Do I have to? The last time I fought someone, it was three against one, and I got absolutely destroyed. The bruises are still fresh, and I'm lucky that none of my scars reopened."

"Fair enough. Maybe you can just watch me and point out flaws in my form," she offered instead.

"I'll make an attempt, but Tai Chi isn't my thing, so my analysis may be flawed."

"I look forward to it regardless," Chun said as we continued our ride back to her apartment.

Two days later:

We got our tickets and packed whatever we needed (more so for Chun as I didn't bring much after leaving Aberdeen) before heading to Colombia. Following the plan, we arrived at the nearest city, which happened to be where the plane landed. After getting our bearings, we were off. A few miles south, hidden well in the forest, was the base Chun's intel sent us.

"You have everything, Chun?"

"Yup. Got the explosives in this bag. Let's not waste any time. I'd rather not have us camp out because it's going to take the whole day to get there."

"Then let's go," I said as we started walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the second part of the prologue is in the books. One more and the trilogy will be done, and I can start the story.
> 
> I'll see you guys later.


	3. Playing with Dolls

She handed me a file as we walked towards the base. "Here, Yao. It's the minor details of the op that I couldn't tell you."

"Let's see here," I said while looking at the details. "Colombia is hard to locate, so it's not heavily guarded. However, one of the guards is of the Four Heavenly Kings, Balrog. He's a Boxer from Las Vegas who was permanently banned from the sport for killing opponents. With him are two dolls, Jianyu and Xiayu. They're Chinese twins adept with a Bo Staff and Nunchaku, respectively. Further inspection of the Chinese Dolls reveals that their behavior and mindless servitude have ties to the Psycho Drive. You think the Psycho Drive's destruction may free their minds?"

"Positive thinking, but we have no evidence to prove that," Chun stated. "Honestly, it'll be astounding if the Dolls can free themselves. As for Balrog, he's only in it for money, and while a King, he's no doubt the worst out of the four. Try to avoid him, but you'll have a better chance of beating him than me. Are you finished with the file?"

I gave her the folder. "Yeah, I'm finished."

Chun took out some lighter fluid before dropping and dousing the files. With a match, she set the information ablaze, burning furiously before being reduced to ash. "Officer's orders. Burn the files when we have no further use for them. Let's keep going. We're almost there."

Despite her apologies a couple of days ago, my partner still had an aggressive look on her face as we continued our trek. "Is there something you're not telling me, Chun?"

"Not that I know of."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled at me. "I'm sure. Why you ask?"

"I just want to be reassured that you won't do anything dumb," I clarified.

She pecked my cheek. "I appreciate the concern, partner. I'll be extra careful. That good enough?"

"I guess it has to be," I answered.

We continued our march before finally reaching the compound, confirming the source's observations. The place was practically empty, even if the dark impaired our vision.

"Sounds like your source was right. With the occasional footsoldier patrolling the outside, there's no one here."

"Which means Balrog and the Dolls must be inside. We should split up from now. I'll look for the Psycho Drive while you search for potential hostages. If I get to destroy the Psycho Drive and you run into the Dolls, get them out of here."

"And if they don't cooperate?" I asked to reinforce realism.

"Then defeat them. No killing, though I know you're good for it," she said.

"Got it. Best of luck." I said as we went in opposite directions.

After observing the patrol making one more rotation, I headed for the back of the compound. Patrolling the perimeter, I saw an alternate entrance guarded by two stationary soldiers armed with guns. Marching at them clearly won't work. Instead, I hid in a bush after grabbing a rock. Getting close enough, I practically fastball the stone to the furthest guard, both confused before I quickly rushed in and stiffly front kicked the nearest guard in the chest. The blow knocked him into the other guard as I then jumped and punted their heads to knock them unconscious. Looting the bodies, I found a key to get inside before tossing the bodies in the bushes.

Infiltrating the base was more manageable than anticipated, almost  _ too _ easy.

Tossing the key aside, I walked carefully throughout the building, slowly revealing that the place was barren even inside. I'm starting to believe this was just a trap, and Chun's source played her this whole time.

"I mean, I'm not asking for a directory, but Bison could've made his hallways a little different. It's taking a lot of thinking to not get lost," I muttered to myself.

Noticing a lone door in the hallway, I carefully approached and opened it as silently as possible. No one was inside. That was my cue to go in. The room seemed like a mission control room, computers with mics on elongated desks everywhere.

"Hmm, maybe one of these computers has some additional information," I wondered.

Hopefully, one of the workers became lazy and forgot to sign out. I can't hack and rather not risk giving myself up by guessing what the password was. Fortunately, there was one computer open, allowing me easy access to the base's files.

I sat down and began scouting for anything that might catch my eye. "Let's see what we have here. Inspections, patrol hours, Visits. Hmmm, interesting."

A few minutes passed before I found something that turned out helpful. "It's June now. Let's check on those."

I clicked on the June visit schedule. Balrog is from now to the end of the week as it's Monday night. Vega is the week after, and Sagat and Bison come for the rest of the month. Guess Sagat and Bison nowadays are a package deal. Maybe he's Bison's personal bodyguard?

"That name sounds familiar. Sagat, Sagat..." I repeated, trying desperately to remember before it hit like a ton of bricks. "He's the organizer of the first World Warrior Tournament. The King of Muay Thai. But why is he a part of Shadaloo? That doesn't make sense."

At least I have the names of the other Kings. Vega and Sagat; noted. Seeing as there might be more information on this computer, I restarted from the files. My search didn't go that long as the very next file caught my eye.

"Dolls. Well, here we go."

I clicked on the files that gave me options - origins, methods, rank, patrol rotation. "Hmm, best go with Patrol Rotation. Maybe this will tell me where Xiayu and Jianyu are."

The file revealed that the two are on patrol now. Guess I shouldn't have expected what I already knew. Going back, I selected rank. Maybe this will give me a gauge as to how strong each one was.

"Enero, März, Aprile, Noemblu, Santamu, Satuski, Février, Jianyu, Xiayu, Juni, Juli, Decapre, Killer Bee. Wait, these are all months in different languages. For a man who fancies himself a tyrant, that's extremely lazy. Except for Killer Bee. Wonder what that means?"

Checking on her file, I was granted access to her personal information. "The strongest Doll, Killer Bee, is Lord Bison's top assassin. However, Killer Bee has recently shown signs of free will. Vega has been assigned to bring her back to Brazil for brainwashing or kill her."

So this Killer Bee is a possible turncoat? That's good to know, and the Chinese Dolls are fifth and sixth strongest, respectively. If valid, I should have no problem dealing with them should the need arise. Seeing as I gained enough info, I closed everything and prepared to leave. But as I made my way to the door, I heard faint footsteps. Leaning in, they grew louder, near frantic. Whoever this is, they're coming in my direction.

Shit.

I quickly rolled out of the way as the door was sent flying across the room. Looking to see who the attacker was, it was the King himself: Balrog.

We stared each other down, no words between us as he dashed forward to punch me. I dodged to create distance, but Balrog pounced on me again, akin to a crazy bull. I hopped over a few tables in another attempt to put distance between us. Yet, he utterly destroyed the desk barriers and computers just to get to me.

What the hell is his problem? Doesn't he know he'll hurt his hands doing this?

"You can't escape, scrawny punk! Now stand still and die!" he exclaimed.

Crap, now he's going to attract the footsoldiers' attention. My back against the last intact desk, I devised a plan on the fly.

"Good, you ain't got nowhere to run now! Now DIE!"

He dashed to punch me again. Telegraphing Balrog's speed, I cut his punch and lifted him up before throwing him behind me on the desk. Immediately turning around, I punched his head with so much force the desk broke in two. Not what I wanted, but thinking quickly, I stomped on his right arm a few times before he swung at me while getting up. I backed up as Balrog checked his right arm, his head bleeding on his right side.

"You little shit! Now I'm really mad!"

"Wait, you can get angrier?" I unintentionally mocked him.

Steam could've literally come out of his nose after I said that.

Backing against a wall, I continued baiting him. "C'mon, Balrog! I'm not going anywhere."

That did it.

Balrog rushed me once more, ready to take my head clean off. I dodged another devastating punch even Mike Tyson couldn't avoid. He missed as his gloved arm became lodged in the wall. Like an idiot, he moved to attack with the other hand, only to have it stuck in the wall. Without a word, I started kicking his hinge joint in the left elbow.

One kick. *Crack* Two kicks. *Crack* Three kicks. *Crack* Four kicks. *CRACK*

"AH! YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" he roared as I dislocated his left arm.

Rotating his body, I punched Balrog as hard as I could in his wound before breaking the last desk with his face, which knocked him out.

Not soon afterward, the alarms blared. *WOO* *WOO* *WOO* "Intruders present in the building! I repeat! Intruders present in the building!"

I don't know whether it was from our scuffle or if Chun was spotted, but I got what I needed here. I ran out of the room and sprinted down the hall before colliding into someone, knocking them to the floor. It was a woman dressed in a light blue leotard with a matching hat. Brown gloves and shoes accompanied a yellow tie around her neck. The files of the Dolls had pictures, so luckily, I knew who this one was.

"You must be Killer Bee," I spoke as I tried to help her up.

She refused my hand and got up on her own before, her tone confused yet hostile. "How do you know of that codename? Of me? Are you with Shadaloo?"

I shook my head immediately. "No. I'm here with my partner to destroy the Psycho Drive. I know you're a turncoat, so we're on the same side. Do you have a name?"

We continued running in the direction I was initially heading.

"A name? All I've ever been known as is Killer Bee. When I think before that, my... my head..." she trailed off before tripping.

I caught her before she hit the floor, figuring out that she was light. I leaned an ear towards her heart and found it was still beating. Good, she's not dead. Well, I can't leave her here. When Balrog comes to and finds her, he'll bring her back to Bison.

I decided (arguably against my better judgment) to take her with me. After verifying that Killer Bee's alive, I continued maneuvering through these corridors. Eventually, I ran into my partner again, thankfully.

"Yao! You're ok!" Chun then pointed at Killer Bee. "Who's she?"

"This is Killer Bee. The strongest of the Dolls. Apparently, she regained her self-awareness, which prompted Bison to have one of his strongest to look after her. I ran into her after I knocked out Balrog. She confirmed her self-awareness, and I guess we silently agreed to work together. I asked for her actual name, but she fainted when trying to remember."

"So she's an amnesiac stemming the constant brainwashing. The files said this isn't the first time she's gained self-awareness. I can only imagine what Bison did to her while in a vegetative state."

"Can't be good if the scar on her cheek is any indication. There's probably more if you see one. Trust me."

"Personal experience?" Chun inquired.

"Unfortunately," I replied darkly. "How much can you lift?"

"180."

"Not bad. Here." I handed her Killer Bee. "Did you find the Psycho Drive?"

"Yeah, It's armed." She somehow flashed the detonator despite holding the former Doll. "We should get a safe distance away before blowing it." Chun gave me the detonator. "Here, you take it since we're trading what we're carrying."

I placed it in my pocket.

"Alright, let's get out of here. You got familiar with the layout much quicker than I did."

We hastily headed for the exit. "I just got lucky is all. I'm not the one who had to fight Balrog. Good to know you didn't come out any worse for wear. Can't have my partner dying before he makes probation."

"The guy was brainless - all he did when he noticed me was try to punch my head off. I sent him through a table and coerced him into punching the wall so hard, his hands got stuck. I dislocated his left arm before knocking him out."

"It seems that you have brains to match your brawn. The quick-thinking you already showed from the restaurant in Kowloon."

On our way to the door, a voice called out for us. "站住别动 (Stop where you are!)"

We turned to see the Chinese Dolls.

"Which one is which?"

"The one with the Chinese Opera Makeup is Xiayu. Jianyu has the Oxhorn Pigtails."

"English?" I inquired.

"我们宁愿说我们的母语与另一个本地人。 即使其中一个是香港人 (We would rather speak our native tongue with another native. Even if one of them is from Hong Kong.)" Jianyu answered.

It seems pride isn't lost with these two.

"给我们一个杀人蜂 为了野牛大人 (Give us Killer Bee. For Lord Bison.)"

"对不起，但我们不能有一个怪物像野牛罗布杀人蜂她的自我意识第二次。 你得为她而战 (Sorry, but we can't have a monster like Bison rob Killer Bee of her self-awareness a second time. You're gonna have to fight us for her.)" I replied dryly.

Xiayu, knowing of what I did, tried to get Jianyu to back off. "建宇，他轻松击败了炎魔。 我们没有机会对付他们两个！(He defeated Balrog with ease. We don't stand a chance against both of them!)"

"我会听你的双胞胎，建宇。 你最好让我们去免得你的尴尬 (I'd listen to your twin, Jianyu. It'd be wise of you to let us go to save yourself the embarrassment.) I warned the girl as Chun placed Killer Bee on the floor gently.

"也许是这样但我们必须服从拜森大人的命令 他希望把杀人蜂带回来 (That may be so, but we must follow Lord Bison's orders. It's his wish to bring Killer Bee back to him.) Jianyu said as she readied her staff.

Xiayu mirrored her sister. What threw me off is when I bowed at them, they still did the same. Maybe they're slowly gaining self-awareness themselves. "Chun, get Killer Bee out of here. I can handle them both."

The alarm blared again, most likely more soldiers coming to try and take Killer Bee.

"Ok, I'll see you outside," Chun said as she headed through the door with the unconscious Doll.

I turned to the Chinese Dolls. "您准备好了吗？(Are you ready?)"

Both cautiously approached me. "你的傲慢将是你的垮台，入侵者。(Hubris will be your downfall, invader.)" Xiayu said.

They attacked as I rolled backward, so they missed. Xiayu pounced on me, displaying her skill with the nunchaku. I avoided each swipe with menial difficulty before ducking the last swipe, retaliating with a palm to her abdomen. I followed another to her chin, finishing the string of attacks with a stiff shoulder slamming Xiayu against the wall. She slid down, her grip on the nunchucks loosening.

"Xiayu! 你会付出代价的陌生人. (You'll pay for that, stranger.)" Jianyu threatened.

She swung and swiped at me with her red staff, leaving a small dent on the floor - great control that I've ever seen. Jianyu refused to let up, continuing to attack without any signs of fatigue. She attempted to slam her staff, but I intercept by disarming her and used her weapon to place pressure on her arm. I then kneed her square in the jaw, thus knocking her out.

They weren't bad, though their technique could use some work. Alas, they have potential. Chun did say I have to bring any Dolls I find out of the compound, and here are two. I should take them to... him. He'll take care of them. I slung Xiayu over my shoulder and held Jianyu by her waist before maneuvering out the same way Chun did.

I found Chun and Killer Bee where we initially split up. "You found me, and you have the Dolls, too. Good job. You have the detonator?"

I took the device out of my pocket and handed it to her. She clicked the primary ignition a few times... *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*

"Jeez, were you planning on blowing up the Psycho Drive or the whole building?" I quipped jokingly.

"I wanted to be sure. But with that, our mission's done. Your probation is all but guaranteed," Chun concluded. "Now, what do we do with the Dolls?"

"There's an outfit in England called Delta Red. I ran into them during my travels and sparred with them. We became well acquainted. Killer Bee will fit right in with them, I think. As for the twins, I'll send them to Grandpa's restaurant. He'll take them, even if it means we have to speak."

"You haven't made conversation with him?"

"Not since Dad died fourteen years ago. Luckily for them, it's one-sided. Grandpa, despite what he did, is always happy to see me."

"Well, we can figure that out later. For now, let's get back to the city. I don't know about you, but I need a shower and sleep," Chun said.

She picked up Killer Bee, and I carried the twins as we headed back to society. Chun went to shower, but I immediately crashed on the couch in our hotel room's living room. I tried falling asleep, but something kept me from getting some shut-eye. Someone was shaking me. I turned around and saw that Killer Bee finally awoke.

"I saw Xiayu and Jianyu sleeping in the bedroom, so I guess that proves we're on the same side. I thank you and your partner for saving them even if you didn't have to."

Sitting up, I rubbed my eye as I'm still somewhat drowsy. "I'm just doing my job and repenting from the bad karma I've been dealt in the past. My record isn't squeaky clean. Doing some good felt good, Killer Bee. How are you feeling?"

She jumped from the inquiry. "You're asking about me?"

"Considering you fainted out there, it seems fair that we reassure you're ok."

"I've been better. My head is hurting, but I'll live. I'm just glad that you saved them. That's why I came down here. So thank you. Really." She strained while holding her head.

"Your welcome. You should rest. Go to bed," I told her.

"Ok, my thanks again." Killer Bee softly pecked my cheek. "Good night."

With that, she went to bed. I yawned once more before laying back down, sleep overtaking me as soon as I closed my eyes.

**Three nights later:**

"And that's everything, Grandpa. Can you take them?"

Grandpa Gen stroked his beard as he examined the Chinese Dolls. "You need not worry about the girls, grandson. I will take care of them. Imagine the luck of you and Dorai's daughter being partners, albeit reluctantly. You've grown since I last saw you, Yao. How have you been, Chun-Li?"

"Just fine, Gen. When Yao told me he was your grandson, I was bewildered, to say the least. But he's behaved on his probation so far."

"Jeez, Chun. I'm older than you. Don't treat me like a kid," I said sarcastically. "Well, if you're going to take Xiayu and Jianyu in, then we've done what's needed. Let's go, Chun."

"You're not going to tell me about your health, grandson? It has been fourteen years since we last talked."

"I wonder why, Grandpa. It's been fourteen years since you killed Dad."

"You're still on that?"

"Yes. I know you weren't Mom's biggest fan, but if you didn't kill Dad, she wouldn't have had to go to Japan."

"I hold regret killing your father after all these years. An accident that became my gravest mistake."

"Grave is correct. I would've attacked you a long time ago, but this relationship is strained enough."

"I was hoping you would forgive me at this point, Yao."

"One day, Grandpa. Maybe after having a near-death experience, I'll forgive you. But that might be what makes me forgive you. Nearly dying."

"Then I hope it's before I die, grandson. I missed spending time with you when you were young. Even if you are 22 now, it's never too late to bond with your grandfather."

"Not now. Come on, Chun." I say to Chun-Li as I get up to leave.

"It was nice seeing you again, Gen," Chun said to him.

"The feeling is mutual. Make sure Yao doesn't do anything reckless."

"I will. If anything, he's been doing that for me."

"C'mon, Chun. We gotta get some shut-eye!" I called for her again.


	4. Rekindling with Aberdeen

**One year later:**

After the op in Colombia, I settled further in Chun's apartment as my probation became official. Thirteen months was the final verdict with my help in destroying the Psycho Drive. We're heading back to Hong Kong for my last month of probation since Chun's convinced I'm not going to jeopardize my freedom without solid reasoning.

Since driving from China into Hong Kong is illegal, she had to book us two tickets to pass the border. We could try to stretch it since she's Interpol, but we agreed not to risk it. Chun, as my PO, is undoubtedly better than having an officer from HKPD be my PO. Most of them are dirty, mentally beaten from China's strict laws. Hence why they take their anger out on the prisoners and those on probation and/or parole, like me.

While waiting for our flight to board, we took a break to get some food.

Mid meal, Chun starts a conversation. "So, Yao. Are you excited to head back to Aberdeen?"

I downed some noodles before answering. "A little. It's been five years since I set foot there. I wonder if most of the people even remember me?"

"This is my first time heading there, let alone a city on the southside of Hong Kong. I've only gone as far as Kowloon."

"Really? I'll take you to a Cha chaan teng in the Market District. From what I remember, their tea was exceptional," I told her before drinking the soup, finishing with a few gulps while setting the bowl aside. "It's the least I can do since you became my PO and guaranteed my probation."

Chun displayed a warm smile. "It's a date."

Over the intercom, a voice calls for our flight number as we boarded the plane.

**Three hours later:**

We arrived in Kowloon. Thankfully, we didn't have to go through customs since Hong Kong's relationship with China is complicated enough. Grabbing a rent a car, we swiftly departed for Aberdeen. I wonder if my Uncle is still running the medicine and herb store? He took that mantle since Dad passed away.

"It was nice of Gen to take care of Xiayu and Jianyu." Chun brought up, shattering my thinking.

"I'm surprised he did, honestly. Grandpa Gen always preferred solitude ever since Grandma died when I was young. Unless you're family, he drove people away, and even then, it was only blood relatives. So I knew him from Dad since Uncle Guai is Mom's older brother. He never accepted her or her relatives despite them being better martial artists than Dad."

"How did your parents meet?" she asked.

"Dad ran a Ba Ji Quan school in the School district as one of the best martial artists in Hong Kong. People throughout Beijing knew of his skills."

Chun looked surprised. "Oh, wow. Ba Ji Quan? It seems like your family is deeply rooted in Chinese Martial Arts."

"You aren't wrong. Most of the martial artists come from my Mom's side. My Grandparents and their parents on her side had many children. As a result, they scattered all across China, Hong Kong, and Japan. Grandpa Gen and Dad are the only martial artists on their side of the family. Because my relatives are all over Asia, they practice different forms of Wu Shu. From what Mom tells me, reunions are always a blast since they always spar, and no one fights the same. Every battle was extremely fierce. When I started learning martial arts, Mom and Uncle decided to keep the tradition alive. So I was taught Xinyi Liuhe Quan since no one in the family knew it."

"Wait, how did they teach you Xinyi Liuhe Quan if no one practiced it?"

"Good question. Uncle practices Xing Yi Quan, a modernized version. Suppose you simplify Xing Yi's purpose and streamline the discipline while making it more ruthless capitalizing on mistakes. In that case, you get Xinyi Liuhe Quan." I explained. "Back to the story. Uncle and Mom moved here in a business expansion with my grandparents running a herb and medicine shop in Shanghai. The responsibility of the shop fell to my Uncle, but Mom helped around. One day, Dad laid an open challenge for anybody, and Mom accepted it as she was wandering around Aberdeen that day."

"Who won?"

"Mom, and it wasn't even close. She embarrassed him in front of the entire School District, making him look like a fresh initiate. It worsened when word got around that she wasn't even from the School District, but from the Marketplace of Aberdeen. When Dad challenged Uncle Guai, it was an even worse ass beating. It took him four years to beat Mom once before he asked her out. The look Uncle gave her when she said yes was one that could kill."

"Why did she say yes?" Chun asked as we entered the city limits.

"That's something only Mom knows. When I ever get the chance to talk to her again, that's most likely the first question I'll ask. Despite not seeing her in thirteen years, I still remember how she fought."

"How so?"

"She was very articulate and only forceful when the need arose, akin to a predator. Mom bided her time and struck with a scary amount of ferocity. With incredible flexibility, she could kick extremely fast despite Wing Chun known for its punches and other uses for the hands like intercepting the opponent's punches. The option to be forceful isn't a luxury Xing Yi, or Xinyi Liuhe Quan have. The practice emphasizes force in every blow to the point where it can be considered explosive. Especially for the latter as the purpose of Xinyi Liuhe Quan is to end the match as quickly as possible."

"I would love to meet her. She sounds like a lovely person."

The rest of the ride was done in silence as we finally reached Aberdeen's epicenter. Chun's phone started ringing after we got out.

"Agent Li. Report in? I'm in Aberdeen with Yao, my probationer. Is he off yet? No, he still has another month, but he's been doing great, and I have the utmost confidence that he won't get into trouble. One more month is nothing at this point." She praised my good behavior. "You want me to report in person at the station? Sir, the nearest office is Kowloon, three hours from here. *sigh* Yes, Sir. I'll call you when I get there." She hung up in frustration. "It seems tea will have to wait. I have to head back to Kowloon and give a physical report of your progress. I assume you know your way around?"

"Don't worry, I know Aberdeen like the back of my hand. I won't get into any trouble while you're gone," I reassured.

"I shouldn't worry. Your word holds merit with me. I'll most likely see you tomorrow," Chun said as she reluctantly got back in the car.

"Safe travels, Chun. I'll be fine," I bid her farewell.

"Ok, I'll see you later," she said before driving off, leaving me alone for the first time since I left Metro City.

Well, even though she isn't here anymore, I still wanted to go to the Cha chaan teng. So, with the destination in mind, I headed south toward the Market District.

The place was livelier than when I left five years ago. Not by a large margin as when I was younger, the area was nearly dead. Now, there's a fair amount of people buying anything. As I approached the tea house, some of the patrons stopped after noticing me and did double-takes. I didn't stop to see if they recognized me if they lived here.

I finally made it to the Cha chaan teng and opened the door, the bell chiming.

"Oh! A customer! A moment, and we'll be with you!" A woman's voice rang in the back. "Shaomei! We gotta customer! Go to help them!"

"Ok, Ma." A smaller voice replied before revealing herself, a teenage girl around 16 or 17 wearing a blue and black variant of my outfit. She walked out of the back room and up to me. "Good afternoon, mister. I'm Shaomei, and I will serve you today. Just one?"

I nodded. "It would seem."

"Ok, and your name?"

"Yao," I replied.

Shaomei paused momentarily but discarded whatever she was thinking. "Right this way." She led me to a table as I sat down and got comfortable. "Just Tea today?"

"If you don't mind," I replied.

Shaomei smiled and bows. "Of course. Ma, Herbal Tea for One!"

I relaxed a bit more in my chair while scanning the interior. The place was decorated multiple times better than anything in Metro City.

About five minutes later, Shaomei came back out with my tea on a tray, placing it on the table in front of me. "Here you go."

"Thank you, Shaomei," I said as I poured my first cup and took a sip.

"Um, Mister Yao? A question?" Shaomei inquired.

"Well, that was two questions," I joke. "I'm kidding, go ahead."

"Do you happen to be Mister Guai's nephew?"

"Huh? Yes, I'm Guai's nephew." I answered.

She then took the opposite seat. "Thought so. I enjoy conversing with him. He says that he never really had anyone to help with his shop since you left, so I visit him once in a while. He described you perfectly despite you leaving five years ago."

She's a friend of Uncle?

"Well, Shaomei. Thank you for keeping my Uncle company. I plan on visiting him after this." I responded.

Shaomei smiled giddily. "He's going to be happy to see you, Mister Yao. He speaks very highly of you."

"You can just call me Yao," I said as I poured some more tea. "Say, do pupils from the School District still come and cause trouble in some of the shops?"

She nodded. "It's not as frequent lately with the news that another World Warrior Tournament is coming soon."

Wait. What?

"Another World Warrior Tournament?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, a company announced the Second World Warrior Tournament. I forgot the name, but Hong Kong was chosen as one of the countries to have two martial art representatives. The Schools have been doubling down on their instruction so that one of the students gets chosen. Because of that, the pupils rarely harass the shops. They still do so once in a while, but Mister Guai drives them off."

"Then I guess I'll be helping him there. And here I thought I would have nothing to do when I returned. Who were the other invited countries?"

"From what I can remember: Japan, China, America, Brazil, the Caribbean, England, and Thailand. India will only choose one representative as opposed to two, however. From the way Mister Guai talked about you, I wouldn't be surprised if you're one of the two picked to represent us," Shaomei said with hope in her tone.

"Whoa, slow down there. I just got back here and don't believe I count as a Hong Kong Resident. Considering I spent the last five years in other countries," I tried countering while continuing to drink my tea.

Before she could speak again, the bell chimed as another patron entered. He had a sleeveless white kung fu shirt, black pants with matching shoes, and yellow wristbands that lengthened into fingerless gloves. The most distinguishable feature was the baseball cap and the skateboard he carried.

"Yun, put the skateboard down when you come inside. The last thing you need is Ma chewing you out. Again," Shaomei chastised him.

"Hi to you too, Shao," he said before glancing at me. "Who's he? You cheating on Yang already?"

"Knock it off. You know I will never cheat on your brother. This is Mister Guai's nephew! He just came back from traveling the world. I was just making his acquaintance is all," she explained.

Rising out of her chair, Shaomei bowed at me one last time. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mister Yao. I hope you'll stay for a while. I have to go back to work. I'm starting to see some of our regulars. Enjoy the tea."

She went to the hostess table, leaving me with Yun. "So, you're the Blind man's nephew, huh? He's pretty good."

"Uncle's deaf, not blind. And he's much better than you if he's been holding you and the other pupils off," I said before sipping my tea.

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, my description was an understatement. He handed us our butts. Grandpa said you and him used to come and trash our best when you were younger."

I finished the tea Shaomei provided me. "Yeah, when I was a kid as an exercise. But that was a long time ago, and I won't do anything like that now unless I have good enough reason to. I'll see you later, kid."

I stood and started to walk past him, but Yun threw a punch at me that I narrowly dodged by ducking and moving backward. "Sorry, but I can't let this opportunity pass me by. I don't know if you're gonna be staying here for long." He got into a fighting position, looks like Bajiquan.

"Look, kid. I don't want to fight right now. I just got back from helping Interpol do a myriad of things and just want to rest today," I tried to back away.

He wasn't having that. "Should've chosen somewhere else to relax."

With that, Yun threw a lunging punch that I easily dodged before tripping him. I managed to grab his arm before his body hit the floor, the pressure on his arm, causing it to break when he fell. And to make sure I roll over him with the arm still in my hand.

*CRACK*

To prevent his screams from alerting the tea house, I stiffly kicked him in the face with enough force to knock him unconscious, his cap flying off his head.

"Wow, Mister Yao. You defeated the best student in Grandmaster Lee's school of Bajiquan! I had a feeling you were the better martial artist. Mister Guai was right about you!"

"Grandmaster Lee is still running the school? Isn't he pushing 90 now?"

"Uh, huh. But he's too stingy to pass it to Master Lee. That's his grandson, you know."

"Huh? This kid is Grandmaster Lee's grandkid? Who would've expected his grandson to be such a punk?"

"Yang isn't much better, I'm afraid. But I love him anyway. Thanks for dealing with him quickly, Mister Yao. It could've been a lot worse if you didn't beat him before the regulars arrived. Can you do us a favor and bring him back to the School District?"

"Sure, I need something to do anyway. Thanks again for the tea, Shaomei," I said as I picked up the sleeping Yun and after grabbing his cap.

I head toward Grandmaster Lee's school. If people were double-taking me before, now that I'm carrying this idiot over my shoulder, passersby are staring. A scattering of gasps notified me that they knew who I was.

I continued paying them no mind as I made it to the School District. Some of the students were outside practicing their forms. They saw Yunn over my shoulder, everyone standing in shock while frozen. I arrived at the Lee school and opened the sliding door to see every one of the Grandmaster's students and the man himself inside doing various things. They all stopped moving after recognizing me.

"Yao? You're back in Aberdeen?"

"As of half an hour ago. It's good to see you, Grandmaster Lee. I wish I can say the same to Yun here. I wasn't in the mood for fighting today, but he insisted," I say before throwing Yun on the school's floor with little care after already breaking his arm.

"His arm's broken, and he may have a fractured jaw," I recited his injuries before tossing his cap at his feet. "It seems that the school district hasn't changed much since I've been gone. Still bullying the Marketplace because they don't practice martial arts as you all do. They have more important things in their lives to worry about. Since I'm staying, I'm putting the entire district on notice. Keep pestering the Market District, and you'll end up worse than Yun here." I warned. "Oh, and the fact you're all training for the World Warrior tournament is useless. Because we all know Fei Long is getting invited. Grandmaster." I bowed before turning to leave.

"怪物。怪物。(Monster! Monster!) No one can beat Yun this easily!" A student accused.

"Kid, if I were a monster, that would mean you can beat me. Shaomei told me that Yun was your best. Ask your Grandmaster about me, cause I've beaten him too. But I've said too much. Make sure you get Yun fixed up," I replied before walking out of the school.

I saw some of the other schools have resumed their regular regimen since I arrived. Thinking nothing of it, I headed back to the Market district, specifically Uncle's shop. If I'm lucky, it'll be in the same spot. On the way, people started walking up to me.

"Thank you for dealing with Yun. He and the other pupils from the other schools were bullying us for weeks." A passerby thanked.

"It's nothing really," I brushed it off while still walking.

I continued traveling through the Market District as the scenery grew more old fashioned. Eventually, I found where Uncle's shop was, and thankfully, it was in the same spot. I approached the door and saw a door knocker. That's odd, Uncle Guai is deaf. Why would he need a door knocker?

"Might as well use it."

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

I waited for a minute since Uncle could be upstairs or what have you. I may be family, but to walk in uninvited is disrespectful. The door opened slightly, a lock preventing it from opening completely.

"Who's there?" An eye poked out as a grizzled voice inquired.

"Uncle Guai? You can speak?" I asked, completely stunned.

"Uncle?" The voice asked, also confused. The eye widened as if coming to a sudden realization. "Yao?"

The locks becoming unhinged one by one resonated before finally opening to reveal my Uncle, Guai.

"Yao, my boy! It's good to see you!" Uncle says before hugging me. "Five long years. I see time has been kind to you."

**Guai, the Wingless Pixiu**

**Date of Birth:** October 10th

**Birthplace:** Xi'an, China

**Height:** 5'11

**Weight:** 150 lbs

**Favorite Color:** Navy Blue

**Likes:** Jie, Yao, his wife Ren, The rest of his Family, Jiayu, Xianyu, Chun-Li, The Marketplace of Aberdeen, Chinese Martial Arts, Gen.

**Dislikes:** The Grandmasters of the School District

**Blood Type:** O

**Fighting Style:** Xing Yi Quan

**Stage of Choice:** Aberdeen's Market Place Street.

**Fun Fact:** It was Guai who convinced Gen that Jie was worth Yao's father's hand in marriage.

**If he had a theme song it would be Koto Song by the Dave Brubeck Quartet.**

"I can say the same for you, Uncle. Especially if you can speak."

"Yes, I regained partial hearing in my ears so I can speak a little. Just don't speak so fast. Come in, come in."

He stepped aside for me to enter. The shelves that the medicine would be on were empty. Even the display of the latest drugs and ointments were blank.

"Ren, we have a guest!" Uncle yelled as he walked partially up the stairs.

"Ren?" I repeat.

"My wife."

"What? Did you get hitched? What happened to never getting married?" I asked. "Better question, what happened to the shop?"

"Oh, yes. We've been married for three years now. Our anniversary was last week. As for the shop, we moved all the supplies up the street where the shop is now. I'll explain later."

"Was Mom at the wedding?" I asked him.

"That she was. She misses you, you know? I would've invited you but didn't know where you disappeared to."

"Guai, dear. What is it? I'm making dinner."

"I want you to meet my nephew."

"Nephew!?"

A pair of soft feet frantically ran down the stairs. "Oh, my. What a handsome young man you are!"

She approached to shake my hand. "I'm Ren, you're new Aunt in Law. Guai told me a lot about you. I would never think his description of you would be so accurate. I'm making food, and I'm sure you must be hungry."

**Ren, the Mature Huli Jing**

**Date of Birth:** August 1st

**Birthplace:** Zhongshan, China

**Height:** 5'8

**Weight:** 110 lbs

**Favorite Color:** Tangerine

**Likes:** Guai, Yao, Jie, Xiayu, Jianyu, Chun-Li, Cooking, Fei Long, Fu Long, Sake.

**Dislikes:** People who call her old, Bad food, People who lack manners, The School District's Pupils.

**Blood Type:** B

**Fighting Style:** Zui Quan (Drunken Fist)

**Stage of Choice:** Outside her Restaurant in Aberdeen

**Fun Fact:** It was Ren who helped Guai regain his partial hearing.

**If she had a theme song it would be Romance by Hiroshi Suzuki.**

Ren wore Tangerine Robes, similar to mine, with white pants. I noticed a few wrinkles on her forehead but not as much as Uncle's, hair a shade of brown, lighter than mine. The smile she had was filled with energy and youth despite being a few years younger than my Uncle, who's 44.

"Some food would be nice."

"Say no more. Come, I'm almost finished!" she exclaimed before rushing back upstairs.

"Best we go, nephew. We have a lot to talk about." Uncle said as we followed his wife.

After getting comfortable at the dining table, Ren came back with a plate for each of us. "I had a feeling I was going to have to cook more than normal. I'm glad I did now. Eat up, Yao. You must be hungry." Ren said as she sat down.

"Thank you, Miss Ren. I appreciate it," I thanked her for the meal that looked and smelled delicious.

"Such manners. Just Ren will do," she told me before beginning to eat.

"So, nephew. What have you been doing these past five years?"

"Up until a year ago, I was traveling the world trying to find a sense of self-identity," I answered, mirroring Ren as her cooking tasted phenomenal. "Mm! This is amazing!"

"Thank you, dear. I'm a chef, so I hope it would. But you said you left to find an identity for yourself. Did you?"

"Not really. But it did grant me clarity. Seeing the world's many cultures opened my eyes to life in general. After I landed in Metro City, I spent four years reluctantly working for the Mad Gear Gang. I hated it from day one but owed the leader and didn't want that debt to be unpaid."

"You were involved in a gang? How are you not in jail?"

"Ren!"

"I don't mean to offend. I'm elated that you're ok, but there's no way you could've escaped getting arrested if you flew back to Hong Kong."

"They did arrest me, Ren. As soon as I touched down in Kowloon, I was pinched by HKPD. However, I could earn probation if I assisted Interpol in a covert op in Colombia. I complied, the op went off with a couple of minor problems, but my partner and I succeeded. The sentence was heavily reduced to thirteen months last year."

"Ah, so you have a month left? Why didn't you come back to Aberdeen as soon as your probation began?"

"Because I was requested by my PO to help her with some decaying cases in China. I couldn't say no, so I stayed in China for a year. We arrived in Aberdeen this afternoon, but her superior officer called and ordered her to return to Kowloon and report my progress. I've only been back for a day," I told them.

"Well, nephew. We're glad you're ok and back here. If you need a place to stay, there's a spare bed in the new shop. I can give you the key, but under one condition," Uncle told me.

"Name it."

"I want you to run the shop in my stead. You were chosen to take control after turning 19 but left to travel the world. Now that you're back, we can give you the shop. I'll show you the ropes and how to run it. You do that, and I'll give you the key."

"I'll do it. I need something to do, and constantly bullying the School District Pupils is not going to be it," I accepted.

"I'll explain that tomorrow."

"Now, about your regained sense of hearing."

"Ah, yes. Ren here helped me regain my sense of hearing, if only partially. After journeying to the countryside, we found a rare herb that, if mixed into a broth, can partially heal physical deficiencies." He answered. "Ren is a regular at the shop, which is how we met. She came to talk most days, not knowing that I was deaf. Eventually, she learned to use sign language. About a year later, she pitched an idea to go to the countryside. We went, and after some minor interference, we found what we were looking for and fixed my hearing. It's sensitive, but the alternative is better than being deaf."

"Can you fight, Ren?"

"I'm a master of Zui Quan. A shame we didn't meet earlier. I sense that we're going to get along well. I'm not on your or Guai's level but I’m stronger than the Grandmasters."

"It's good that you'll take the position. Pupils don't do it nearly as much now due to the announcement of the World Warrior Tournament. Yet they still harass the Marketplace residents because they don't practice martial arts," Uncle began.

"Nowadays, martial arts is what Aberdeen is famous for, ever since Fei Long became famous worldwide. Guai and I fend them off, but pupils don't eat my restaurant anymore because of it. It doesn't help me because I'm better than them, and I'm a woman."

"I'll eat at your restaurant, Ren," I assured her.

She chuckled. "I appreciate it."

"I already did something of the sort today. Yun, Grandmaster Lee's grandson, tried to fight me in a Cha chaan teng this afternoon. I broke his arm, dislocated his jaw, and carried him to the Lee school of Ba Ji Quan before throwing him in front of the Grandmaster. I warned them before leaving to come here," I said while finishing my food.

"I'll get that for you, seeing as I'm done too," Ren said as she grabbed my empty plate and stacked it with hers.

"Come, nephew. Let me give you the keys." Uncle stood up, and I stood with him.

As he walked to the key holder, Uncle took the keys to the shop off and handed them to me. "Let's go, Yao. Ren, I'll be back shortly!"

"Ok, dear."

We traversed up the street in relative silence until I broke it. "Ren seems nice."

"I was bewildered when she offered to help cure my deafness, but I realize that she was good to me for the sake of it. I owe her for such kindness. Staying with her is the least I can do and having a sparring partner is nice as well. Ren keeps me sharp while she improves, her skill enough to give herself a reputation and nickname."

"Really? What is it?"

"The Drunken Huli Jing."

"Fox Spirit? That's certainly a name of a legend. It seems that I wasn't the only one to gain powerful female allies."

"Oh, you've met someone as well, nephew?"

"Not like that, Uncle. Though she is beautiful. I'm talking about my PO."

"I see. Stay perceptive around beautiful women, nephew. You never know what their true intentions are. Time is the best indicator for ulterior motives."

"That can't be good."

"Not necessarily. Sometimes an ulterior motive can be positive. Different circumstances keep them that way is all I'm saying. You're never too young to learn something new. Ren's attraction to me is a prime example."

"How old is Ren? I didn't want to ask her directly because I didn't want to be disrespectful."

"She's 39 though can pass for 28, so she's told me," Uncle lectured as we made it to the store. "Here are the keys. The beds are upstairs. Rest up because I expect to start teaching you the layout bright and early."

I began to question him, but he cut me off. "I have a spare key as well. You can never be too careful. The hours aren't arduous, so there is that. I'll see you in the morning."

He patted my shoulder before walking back. I unlock the door. But I heard footsteps coming from the School District's direction. Stepping away from the door, I clenched my fists as I felt a fight coming on.

"Who sent you?" I demanded. "You can't be from the Lee school. After I showed up with Yun's unconscious body, that should've scared the rest of them."

"Perceptive one. We're from the Long school, here to send you a message," the centermost pupil said.

I stepped off the stairs. "Oh? And what would that message be?"

"That we aren't as weak as the inferior Lee school!" The pupil exclaimed as he rushed me.

One punch, two punch, both were blocked with ease. I pushed him away with my shoulder, tripping him slightly. He was on me again, throwing an overhead punch that I intercept before slamming him on his side. I kicked his back, sending him flying towards his peers. He slowly got up while feeling his hip.

"What are you two doing?" He berated the two before pointing to me. "Get him!"

I palmed the left most pupil in the cheek, causing him to fall. The last pupil received a stunning elbow before I jumped and landed a stiff crescent kick to his jaw, spinning him like a top. I grabbed his shirt collar before hammer fisting his spine, causing him to crash hard on the street.

"Shan!" The de facto leader screamed.

Picking up Shan, I tossed him at the leader. The last pupil recovered from my palm and was back on me again. He threw a front kick at me as I grabbed his foot and elbowed his knee socket.

*CRACK*

I spun him around before kicking him in the opposite direction. He landed worse than his buddy in front of the leader who looked shocked.

"Yeah, you're right. You're worse than Yun. At least his stance was correct. What the hell was the point of this attack, huh? Does Grandmaster Long know about this? Or am I going to have to bring this to his attention?"

The leader's eyes widened.

"So, that's a no. Get lost, punk. I'm not helping you with them either, so I hope you can lift." I began walking back to the door. "Oh, and work on your form. From what little I saw, it was awful."

Stifling a yawn, I unlocked the door but checked to see if the pupils were gone before going inside. Something lying on the ground caught my attention that they must've dropped.

A scroll.

I picked it up and saw writing over the cover. "Senjutsu: Ki Control."

Senjutsu? What was a Wing Chun acolyte doing with a Senjutsu Scroll? I thought Senjutsu was a mythical Martial Art? I shouldn't read it as I don't want to bring any negative karma on myself.

"You may read it." A voice said out of nowhere.

I looked around to find the owner but saw nothing.

"Up." The voice called out again.

Looking upward, I saw an extremely old man sitting in a dried red cocoon. "This yours?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have no use for a scroll for which I already know. You, however, are worth reading such a scroll. I sense your level of mastery is higher than most."

"In Hong Kong?"

The hermit laughed. "Such a humble but small guess. In the world, young one, I can count on one hand the people worthy of reading the scroll. You are the fifth."

"If this is a Senjutsu Scroll-"

"Which it is."

"Then how did those Long school punks get it?"

"I may be a Sennin, kid, but I don't know everything." He said bluntly before laughing. "I'm serious about the scroll. You may not be the person I'm looking for, but maybe worth the title of Sennin one day. The fact that you can read the scroll is proof enough. I'll be watching over you, Yāo Guài." The hermit said before somehow disappearing.

I did a double-take before taking the scroll inside to get some rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That ends the first official chapter of this story.
> 
> What'd you think of Guai and Ren? In the MoI that inspired this story, Guai is deaf, and he signs, specified by brackets over his dialogue. I changed so that he's partially deaf. He can hear, but his ears are sensitive. Guai isn't based on anyone that I know of. I say this because I don't know of any deaf martial artists who are historical figures or anime characters. As far as that part of him goes, Guai is the most original character I've ever made. All of my other OCs are based on something.
> 
> Ren is similar in those aspects. If you want to stretch it, you can say that she's inspired by Jam from Guilty Gear. The only similarities the pair have are Chinese, have brown hair, and chefs who run a restaurant. Other than that, Jam and Ren are entirely different: Fighting styles, manners, speech patterns, and actions. I originally wanted to give Ren the Mantis style. Still, I realized that Gen uses that technique, so I gave her Drunken Fist instead. Drunken Fist is often used in fighting games, but no woman has ever used it.
> 
> Lastly, I put in Guai and Ren's pseudo theme songs if they were ever in an SF game. I chose Koto Song for Guai because of its general ambiance, and it shows enough like Guai. It also fits the mentor-like role he shows with Yao. I chose Romance for Ren because of her marriage to Guai. Becoming Yao's new Aunt is the central theme of her character. She's very floaty and easy-going, which fits.
> 
> I never told you what Yao's theme was in his bio because I came up with that part of this chapter. If he had one, it would be the Forest of Death theme from Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2. I think it fits his character perfectly. It sounds traditional at first, like Yao. He spent the first 18 years of his life in Hong Kong and uses a Martial Art rooted in Asia exclusively. As the percussion reveals itself, it shows an eye-opening view on what he did since deciding to travel the world to improve his fighting style and himself. When the Flute Solo starts, everything comes together as he returns to Hong Kong with his completed Martial Art. You should give those songs a listen to see what I mean. Or to tell me how wrong I am. Either or.
> 
> I'm gone, see you all later.


	5. Disciplining the Undeserved

This scroll has been consuming my thoughts since I got it a week ago.  
I haven't read despite Uncle and Ren's insistence. If it helps defend the Marketplace, then I should. However, I'm still indecisive due to the possible karma that can befall me if I'm not deserving. Ren said that my karmic beliefs are impacting my daily decisions too much.

Admittedly, I agree to an extent.

For now, the scroll sat above the display. The past week was spent having Uncle teaching where everything was while detailing what was needed during the hours. The shop wasn't open for long during the day, merely a few hours. But that wasn't really the big point of me being here.  
Driving the School District Pupils away when they bug the patrons and otherwise was the bigger issue.  
Uncle Guai said they haven't much trouble ever since the World Warrior Tournament's initial announcement. Yet, small problems persisted. One, I beat Yun in front of his twin's girlfriend. Easily, I might add. Two, I then carried his unconscious carcass to Grandmaster Lee's school and dropped him in front of the other pupils. Three, I was assaulted by Long School students that night. All those instances were at the forefront of more massive headaches.

Someone made my beating of Yun and the Long School pupils into the city newspaper's primary headline. So now, every martial artist knew who I am, what I did, and where I stay. I've been challenged by an idiot claiming to be a student at least twice a day at random points. Eating at Ren's restaurant, drinking and conversing with Shaomei at the Cha chaan teng, and spending time with Uncle.

It never ends.

I'm not merciless, mind you, but I'm becoming agitated. Every numb-nut student was sent limping away, but if this shit keeps up, I may have to start ending careers. Reading the scroll will only make restraining myself even harder.

This is bullshit.

Anyway, Uncle was just about finished explaining the ins and outs of running the store. "Don't forget to check the reports, nephew. We might be getting more ointments soon, and with you in charge, you have to go and check the docks for new shipments."

"Jeez, Uncle Guai. I'm happy you let me run the place and all, but this is a lot to digest. Can't you pace it a bit slower? I just got used to the layout of where everything is."

"We both know that pacing isn't my thing, Yao. The only thing I didn't rush into was my marriage with Ren, and even then, that's questionable. At least I don't have to worry about your fighting ability. You're arguably the best martial artist in Hong Kong, which saves me the effort of teaching you. Other than the reports, that's all you need to know. I'll leave you to it and will be at Ren's if you need me," Uncle Guai spoke as he left the store in my hands.

Would you believe me if I said things can be worse than what they are?

Apparently, the Lee and Long school heard about their failed attempts at besting me since I'm the new big bad of Aberdeen. The contempt they have for one another has escalated into a district-wide rivalry.

What the hell am I? A fucking prize? The only thing stopping me from going to the Schools and Dojo Busting them myself is that if I go too far and kill someone, my probation and freedom will vanish. So I gotta stay my butt right here.

It's not all bad, though.

Because of my services in protecting the townsfolk, customers regularly come by. I already have regulars in Ren's fellow culinary students. As well as Uncle's patrons and Ren being a barker at her restaurant, business is excellent and keeps me busy whenever I'm not breaking a punk's nose. I also added a couple of things to make it harder to miss a customer.  
Business is profitable, but it's almost always slow. I have a newspaper handy to read when no one's around, along with a bell and door sign. Ring for service, it says. Seeing as I don't have to check for anything, my shift can begin. I sat on the stool, grabbed the newspaper, and read the big headline.

"The Lee and Long school rivalry further escalate. Students from both schools found fighting all across Hong Kong..." I read to myself.

I frowned. "Is me dealing with this crap my retribution? Because it's starting to feel like it."

Hopefully, customers start arriving soon, or else this day will drag on.

*Ding*

The bell I put on the table is already getting some use.

Putting the paper down to see my guest, I hoped it was a customer. To my disappointment, it's one of the Lee twins.  
I sighed, already disgusted by the guy's presence, before rereading the paper. "What do you want, kid?"

"Is that how you treat a customer?" he asked.

"No, but I know you're not going to buy anything. I was wondering when you were going to show your ugly ass." I gave a quick glance to see which twin it was. "What do you want, Yang?"

Yang scanned the place, taking note of the Senjutsu scroll. "How much for the scroll?"

"The scroll is a decoration, not for sale," I replied bluntly. "Cut the small talk, punk. I know you want to fight. Your fellow pupils have been challenging me every day since I trashed your brother. I would assume you'd know better considering he's better than you."

"Yun is full of himself. He treats everything with no seriousness at all."

"Funny. He said the same when I gave him a rematch a few days ago. Are your schools that afraid I'll get invited to the World Warrior Tournament now that I'm back?" I questioned. "This reeks of desperation."

"If we don't deal with you, that invite is all but gone. We know you've beaten Fei Long plenty of times-"

"Understatement of the year, by far." I interrupted.

"Plus, a win against you means I finally have something over Yun."

"Kid, there's no amount of training that'll make you superior to Yun, let alone beat me. You're not ready to face me, Uncle, or Ren yet. Go back to the School District and continue training before I expose you for the greenie you are," I calmly threatened.

The punk then ripped the paper out of my hands before balling it up and tossing it outside. "You think I can't take you? That I'm a joke? Afraid of battling me because you know losing is possible?"

There goes my peace for today.

"Anything is possible, kid. But you're too close-minded and inexperienced to stand a ghost of a chance," I said before standing up from my stool. "Last chance to leave with your pride intact."

"I will beat you right now. Count on it." He predicted.

A false prediction. I tried being civil as I didn't want to deal with this just as my shift started. Oh, well. Time to embarrass this brat.  
Circling the clerk table, I got in his face while a small crowd formed outside the shop. "After you, milady." I mocked.

He threw a punch at my face, but I blocked it as he attempted another at my stomach. I intercepted the attack before harshly palming his cheek, the sound effect causing the crowd to 'oooh.' Yang pushed my palm off, persistently attempting to hit me. I continued blocking his strikes until I used a shoulder with minimal force, barely pushing him back. The palm left an imprint on his cheek, thus annoying him.

"What's the matter with you? I thought you were going to fight. You haven't landed a single punch," I said to him, shrugging. "Come on, punk. You're scaring away the patrons."

"Fine then. I won't hold back."

Yang was back on me with a lunging punch. I grasped his arm and pulled him forward, attempting to land a blow on his jaw. He barely ducked despite his lack of balance and went for a kick to my gut. Again, I blocked with my knee before grabbing his lower calf, throwing him backward as he landed on his stomach. I knew this wasn't over yet.

I stepped back to grant him some space. "You alright, punk?"

He got up in slight pain. "I'm fine."

"Good. Again, since you're not done yet," I stated before getting into the Xinyi Liuhe Quan stance for the first time.  
He scanned my position before doing the same. I parried his punch with an elbow to the chest and knocked him off balance by kicking his feet. Yang nearly collided with some of the medicine.  
I stopped him by grabbing his other foot. "Hey! Watch the medicine!"

After pulling him off, Yang retaliated with an overhead chop. I countered with a sequence of blocks before cutting off his punch with a circular motion. Using the momentum to punch his chin, I shifted our positions with a palm to the neck and dragged him down. Yang tried to grab my leg, which I saw coming. Jabbing my thumb in the same spot where I hit his chin, he winced on reaction as I forced him to stand before grabbing his ear, flipping him back on the floor. During the exchange, I saw a flash of purple and red in the crowd.

Grandpa Gen's here? What's he doing so far from Shanghai? I'll cross that bridge later.

Anyway, Yang rose up before bumping into the Sake but re-balanced the vase before it fell. "Watch the Sake, kid," I relaxed, thinking the battle is over.

Feeling on his ear, Yang pointed an accusatory finger at me. "What kind of Kung Fu is that?"

"For being Lee's nephew, you're pretty ignorant to the forms of Long Fist," I demeaned. "Are you done causing a scene yet?"

"Not yet."

Yang began swinging wildly, but I ducked under his assault before stiffly kicking his stomach. Grabbing his arms, I kneed him in the face and stomped his foot. I gave another knee to his chin, and using the momentum, slammed a fist in the back of his neck, causing him to fall hard.  
He slowly got back up, writhing in pain from the fact that I hit him pretty hard. But I had to prove a point because I was pissed.

"What form of Long Fist is that?" he asked, feeling his many bruises.

"Xinyi Liuhe Quan, the oldest documented form of Long Fist and simpler brother of Xingyi Quan. More ruthless, streamlined, and straight forward than the other forms. Ask the Grandmasters about me, kid. My uncle and I were beating your uncles from when I was a kid."  
I grabbed his shirt and got in his face. "I'm telling you this once. This ass beating was only a precursor to what will happen if your stupid, petty rivalry with the Long school leaks here. I will find and beat you so bad, Shaomei will fail to recognize who you are. You've been warned. Understood?"

He nodded frantically before I pushed him away. "Good. Now beat it."

Yang ran out of the store in a hurry. The crowd clapped at what just happened.

I calmed the group down. "Alright, fights done. If you're not going to buy something, go away!"  
The crowd dispersed before I checked on the inventory to see if anything was damaged.  
In the distance, I heard clapping, probably from Grandpa.

Thankfully, I found no damages after a quick inventory check. Circling back to the clerk's desk, I sat back down just as Grandpa approached.  
"Well done, grandson! An amazing display. I'm glad I came to witness how much you've improved," he lauded.

Looking up to make eye contact, I saw Jianyu, the younger Chinese Doll, with him. She wore a white and blue variant of my outfit, her ox horn pigtails loose.  
"Jianyu? What are you doing here? Better yet, that goes for both of you. Why are you in Aberdeen?" I inquired.

She bowed. "Hello, Yao."

"We are here, grandson because I have a favor to ask of you."

"I'm not in a position where I owe you anything, Grandpa. Where's Xiayu?"

"Xiayu is currently in school training to become a Chinese Opera Singer," Grandpa answered.

Not the answer I expected as I looked at them dumbfounded. "Are you serious?"

"Yes. A few months ago, our memories that were once erased started returning to us. Xia remembered that she was a Chinese Opera Singer in training and that martial arts were a mere hobby. So Grandpa Gen took her to the School of Performance in Beijing," Jianyu answered.

"And what of you? Did you remember your passions?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No. Xia is the older twin, so her memories came back faster than mine."

I laid a hand on my head. "That's really sad. But what does that have to do with Grandpa Gen's favor?"

"When you adopted the girls into Guai's side of the family, what did you specify the relationship between you, her, and Xiayu?"

"Since Mom is in Japan somewhere, Dad's dead, and Guai still here, Jianyu and Xiayu are my little sisters by way of adoption," I revealed the relationship.  
Grandpa Gen stroked his beard as he absorbed the information. Jianyu stood there as dumbfounded as I was when they told me Xiayu was in Beijing.

"I see. Well, the favor..." Grandpa began. "I want you to take Jianyu in my stead. With Xiayu in Beijing, there's little for her to do. I feel as though you would do better in watching and taking care of her than me."

"And how do you know that's what she wants?"

"She asked me personally," he answered, matching my bluntness.

"Seriously, Jinayu?"  
She nodded.  
"See? I'm telling you the truth, grandson. Will you take her?"

"Well, we do have a spare bedroom upstairs. And it'll be nice to have someone around who isn't Uncle. So I guess you can stay here, Jianyu." I accepted Grandpa Gen's offer.

"Wonderful! My thanks, grandson. I will remember this."

"I hope so, Grandpa. You are pushing 85 now," I joked.

"Yao, I told you it's not nice to chide the elderly," Uncle said as he re-entered the store. "It's good to see you again, Gen. And you must be Jianyu. I'm Yao's Uncle, Guai. A pleasure to meet you. What brings you both here?"

"I'm just here to drop Jianyu with Yao as he's taking custody of her now with Xiayu in Beijing."

"I see. You must be hungry, Gen. Let's get something to eat at Ren's."

"How is your wife doing?"

"You know how she is, but Ren's doing wonderful."

"Am I the only one who didn't go to the wedding?" I wondered aloud.

"Yes, you were. Come, Guai. My mouth is watering from the thought of her food," Grandpa Gen said as he and Uncle left, leaving just me and Jianyu.  
I sighed before sitting upright over the display table.

"You really adopted Xia and I as your sisters?" Jianyu asked, breaking the silence.

I nodded. "I didn't have any other option, really. Chun is way too busy to adopt you and is more involved with her work. But the reason I left you and Xiayu with Grandpa Gen was that he could give you normal lives. Close enough for him anyway."

"We appreciated the gesture. But we were mindless soldiers. Normality for you, doesn't exist for us. When Xia remembered her talent for Opera, Shanghai became sad and boring. That's partially why I asked him to bring me here," she explained.

"Well, Jianyu. You couldn't have come at a worse time since the other half of the city wants to beat me up," I admitted.

"I had a feeling you were in some trouble. That's another reason why I wanted to live with you. I get the feeling that you attract trouble, and excitement normally follows trouble."  
I pinched my nose; she's already acting like a little sister.

Jianyu laughed at my indifference. "Don't worry, Da-ge. (Big Brother) I can defend myself. Grandpa Gen taught me the Crane Style, and I can still use a Bo Staff though I don't have one right now," Jianyu said.

"That's good. I can't teach to save my life," I said bluntly.  
The day went by with Jianyu keeping me company. After an hour or so, she decided to better acquaint herself with Aberdeen, seeing as she'll be living here. When she came back, I was dealing with a customer who just bought some ointments.  
"Have a nice day," I said to the patron as he left.

"Wow. The pupils of the school district really do hate you."

"Paranoia is a martial artist's worst enemy. They shouldn't be worried about me and focus on possibly representing Hong Kong in the World Warrior Tournament," I said.

"Right, Da-ge. We all know that you'll go. You were born here and already beat every other martial artist in the country." She answered. "I bet you have a lot of stories."

"So does Grandpa Gen, but I know you didn't ask him."

"We did. He said he's no one special."

"Someone wasn't trying hard enough." I motioned for her to lean in. "Grandpa Gen was an assassin."

"What?" She said in a hushed surprise.

"Yup. He's killed a lot of people. Meeting Grandma Yuya was when he retired to be a husband. He then opened his restaurant in Shanghai. How do you think he knows Mantis so well?"

"What about the Crane style?"

"Grandma taught him that. Mantis was his first style. Yet, he refused to teach Dad, as his past of killing long ended before he was born. I don't know use that style or Crane. Grandma passed away before I was born." I explained.

"Guess he didn't want to tell me the stories about how he killed people for a living. But you don't kill people. I know because Grandpa told me of your semi-devotion to Buddhism. He also told me about how you traveled the world," Jianyu told me.

Grandpa sure loves to yap about me, it seems.

"Where have you been?"

"Let's see... If I remember them, it's been five years since I started traveling," I answered honestly before scratching my chin. "China, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Israel, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, and America. Pretty sure that's all of them. Though if I did forget, know that I've lived in every continent for at least one month."

"I take it you got that barely noticeable scar on your chest during that time?" Jianyu pointed at one of my upper chest scars.

"Yes, and it's not the only one. I have 37 more. There are three large ones on my back after a bear mauled me."

"You were mauled by a bear?"

"Uh-huh. It awoke early from hibernation agitated and attacked anything that moved. I had to kill it in self-defense. The rest I acquired during all the fights I got into, whether for defending others or gain money to continue my travels. Thirty-five battles, a scar from each."

"Whoa, Da-ge. Sounds like you were a vigilante. Save for the scars; it sounded awesome."

"I'll admit, I enjoyed myself... until I landed in Metro City."

"What happened there?" Jianyu asked. "Oh, and there's some blood on the floor. You want me to mop it up?"

"Is there? If you would be so kind, please do," I requested before answering the first question. "A criminal kingpin roped me into being his bodyguard, putting my travel plans on hold. I stayed there for four years until his enemies killed him. Afterward, I left Metro City but got arrested before being placed on parole after saving you and Xiayu in Colombia. I'm now on probation for another three weeks before I'm a free man."

"I would've never imagined. You surely have some bad luck, Da-ge."

"Nah, bad karma coming back to bite me is all. With how much I've been beating the pupils up, I think I finally paid for it all." I eyed her curiously. "But how about you, Jianyu? Even with all of your memories not returning, is there anything you want to do?"

"I don't know. I rather wait for them to all come back so I can tell you. But even then, I wouldn't know if I retained the skill I had before Bison abducted me. Maybe I should see the world like you."  
"It'll give you clarity, that's for sure. It did for me," I said before thinking about it more. "Tell you what. If I do get invited to represent Hong Kong in the World Warrior Tournament, I'll take you with me so I can be your pseudo tour guide."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Seeing the world might do you some good, and even inspire you too. It's honestly doing better than nothing since I have to do everything involving the store."

"Thank you, Da-ge. Was that guy in red a School District pupil?"

"He's the best pupil in the Lee school's twin brother and is the Grandmaster's grandson. He challenged me because if he won, he would have something over his brother. He also wanted the scroll above the display," I said, pointing to the Senjutsu Scroll.

Jianyu squinted at the faint markings. "Why would he want a blank scroll?"

I reactively did a double take when she said that. But the scroll had 'Ki Control' on the outside.

"It's not blank. It says Ki Control on the outside," I pointed out to her with my index finger.

She just shrugged. "I don't see anything, Da-ge. What kind of scroll is it supposed to be?"

"A Senjutsu Scroll. But I didn't believe it when the person who let me have it told me."

"Why not?"

"Because Senjutsu is considered mythical like Bigfoot, or a Yeti. Sennin's are extremely rare to the point that most people don't believe they exist. Their martial might is legendary. Legends say that it takes decades to be a practitioner of Senjutsu, let alone master it. Your gray hair will grow grayer by then. This scroll has one of the main disciplines of Senjutsu. Ki Control."

"Well, if I can't read it and you can, surely it must be real. How come you haven't read it yet?"

"Up until now, I didn't think it was an actual Senjutsu scroll. And if it was, I don't think reading it will be a good idea. It'll bring a monster's worth of bad karma on myself if I'm not deserving."

"Did the supposed Sennin tell you that you can read it?"

"Yes."

"Then there should be no reason for you not to. I think your karmic beliefs are having too much influence on your decisions."

"You know, you're the second person to tell me that. But I don't see the point in reading it right now."

"It'll make you stronger. That's all the reason you need, Da-ge."

"Sure it will. But I don't need to be stronger right now. I'm the strongest person in the country, and if that was a Sennin, then apparently I'm one of the strongest in the world. If I can do my job here and continue beating the School District punks, then reading the Scroll is excessive and unnecessary."

"But what if you get picked to represent Hong Kong in the tournament?"

"Then I'll read it since I'm going to try and win the whole thing. But as of now, I don't need it. It will remain a decoration until then."

Jianyu was about to respond, but out of nowhere, we received two unexpected visitors. Entering the store was Yang... and Grandmaster Lee. Jianyu moved behind the clerk's table and stood next to me.  
Shit was about to hit the fan.

"Grandmaster Lee. I see you brought your grandson back here. To what do I owe this visit?" I inquired.

"I am here to request that you apologize to my grandson. I'm well aware of his lack of discipline, but you shouldn't be the one to set him straight."

Apologize? Me? After not wanting to fight Yang in the first place?

"Tell me your joking," I said, clearly pissed. "Your punk of a grandson walked into my store and instigated a battle I didn't even want to partake in. I actually gave him a chance to walk away twice. But he insisted. So, I embarrassed and warned him not to let this stupid, petty rivalry between yours and Grandmaster Long's school spread through here. There are only four of us who can defend the place since neither of you will help us. Then you have the gall to waltz in while I'm trying to help my 20-year-old sister find a purpose in life. Then practically demand me to apologize for something your brat is responsible for even though it wasn't wrong!?"

"I understand your fury-"

"Do you really? You came with the pathetic excuse of making me apologize to Mr. Second Rate here like you haven't been sending your students to challenge me all week. Grandmaster Long is also at fault, but I'll deal with him later. The moment I dropped off Yun in front of you unconscious was a message not to test me. And now you and every other school in the district have been coming after me like I was a prize monster. I'm not a fucking prize, Grandmaster. I'm just trying to mind my business."

The Grandmaster then slammed his hand on the display table to faze me, which failed miserably.  
"You are a monster, Yao. We call you Yāo Guài (monster) because that's what you've become to the School District ever since you returned. You are a beast gatekeeping us from immortalizing our names into the fighting world."

"I'm preventing you from terrorizing people who don't have time to be like us, Grandmaster. Fei Long is the second best student from Grandmaster Long's school, therefore making Aberdeen famous for its martial arts doesn't mean everyone has to become one. What kind of thinking is that? You weren't thinking like this when I was a kid."  
Grandmaster Lee had nothing to say about that.

I turned to Yang. "And you, pulling a stunt like this is exactly why you will never be better than Yun."  
That earned me a death stare, one I ignored before continuing.

"I beat Yun twice. Once last week and three days ago. He never complained about either loss to Grandmaster Lee. Instead, he took the initiative and battled me again to redeem himself. I beat you once while restraining myself. Yet here you are whining, not as a man but as Grandmaster Lee's grandkid. Even from handing you your ass, I can tell you have a talent for this. But you and Yun, though him to a lesser extent, are letting your talent carry you. You think just because your Grandfather runs one of the biggest schools in Aberdeen puts you above training to improve yourself? There's always someone better than you, bastard."

My cold stare returned to the Grandmaster. "Let me break this down for you since you're ninety. Your brain may not work like it did when it was younger; I wouldn't know. Beating me will not guarantee you or your students a spot in the World Warrior Tournament," I stated bluntly. "The reason why I'm being considered and practically invited is that I'm well traveled in tandem with my open-mindedness on martial arts. I spent four years seeing the world, absorbing cultures, spending time with the locals, and beating their best warriors. None of the pupils nor the Masters and Grandmasters have ever left Aberdeen, let alone China. And you all somehow concluded that there's not one person who can best you. Newsflash, I beat you all as a little punk, no less. Uncle Guai did so when he couldn't even hear. And Ren has done it too. Three people have exposed the School District for how flawed it is, and how do you respond? Not by training harder to beat us, no, no, no. You boycott Ren's restaurant, barely talk to Uncle Guai, and send legions of your pupils to get crippled by me. And for what? Because I'm the one who may very well represent us in a martial arts tournament? Ba Ji Quan is not going to be the only style there. The moment you face a western martial art, you're screwed because you think Ba Ji Quan will be enough. But you're not knowledgeable enough on foreign fighting styles to have that mentality. As a result, both of your punk ass grandkids and the rest of your barely average pupils won't be chosen. None of you are good enough. Beating me isn't going to change that." I ran him down.  
Jianyu stood there, staring at me in awe as I lean on the display.

"I'm not going to battle you for no reason, Grandmaster. Despite verbally murdering you, I have respect for what you've done for the city. But keep pushing my buttons like this, and I'll have to treat you like your students. And you don't really need a good battle at 90. I look at you funny; your back will blow out. I'm telling you this only once. Continue to send pupils here, and I will end their careers. I'm sick of proving myself every time they challenge me. And since you were staring at the scroll..." I mentioned, which threw him off as he didn't think I noticed. "If you want it, beat me for it. Just know I won't be holding back as the thought of you or one of your students having a Senjutsu scroll over someone who actually deserves it makes me want to vomit across the floor." I threatened calmly. "Now, if you're not going to buy anything, get lost. The store is closing in ten minutes."

Grandmaster Lee frowned, greatly defeated by my verbal assault. "Yang, we're leaving." Was all he said as they left the store.  
I took a deep breath before moving off the display. "Glad I got that off my chest."  
Maybe I should read that scroll before I do something I'll regret. I glanced at my little sister as she just stood there in amazement. "Problem, Jianyu?"

"Wow, Da-ge! That was so cool! There was no hesitation in your words at all. And," She hugged me from the side out of nowhere. "Thanks for defending me. I appreciate it."

I roughed her hair up a little. "It's nothing, Jian. Blood or not, you're family, so I take it personally if anyone offends you. But as you grow and mature, you won't need my help and can deal with a verbal or physical beatdown of your own. Now come on. Help me clean up the store. After that, we can go get dinner at Ren's."

She nodded before letting out a gasp. "Jian? You gave me a nickname?"

"What? Would you rather I call you by your full name?"

She shook her head. "No, I like it."

I nodded and began cleaning the store. "Good. The faster we clean up, the faster we can eat. Then we can spar, meditate, or whatever."

"Mmhmm. Ok, Da-ge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The second chapter is in the Books. What'd you think of it all? If you didn't notice, I used the MoI of Yao as a base for the first scene between Yao and Yang but changed it to fit the context of the story.  
> Jianyu is now a cast member but didn't have a bio because she's not an OC. Only OC's will have Bios, and there is more for you to see. In fact, you'll meet one in the next chapter, so stay tuned.  
> Let me know what you think with a review or a PM.  
> I'll see you all later.  
> Currently listening to: Zenith by CJ Bolland.


	6. Karmic Retribution

My verbal massacre of Grandmaster Lee and Yang with consistent requests from Uncle Guai, Ren, and now Jian, was enough for me to cave and read the Senjutsu Scroll. Ever since I ran them down, I haven't received any challengers from the Lee School, so moments of peace lasted longer and often came around.

Long School students still challenged me and started targeting Jian too. The first time this happened was when she went out for a stroll in the city as she usually did when not spending time with Uncle Guai or helping out at Ren's.

**Two Days Prior: After my 'conversation' with Grandmaster Lee and Yang**

_ "Are you almost off, Da-ge?" Jian asked as I was finishing with a customer. "I'd like to get something to eat with you." _

_ "I got a few more hours left, Jian. The shop just opened. Can't you go to eat by yourself? Ren will happily keep you company." _

_ "But eating alone is so dull, and all Ren talks about is food! I love food as much as the next gal, but I don't think anyone can rival her love for it. I'm surprised she stays fit with how much she can eat." _

_ "Uncle says they spar after every meal, meaning those bouts are extremely intense because Uncle has a bottomless stomach. I'm surprised they don't destroy their house. But that's love, and I won't knock them for it since Uncle thought he would never marry because of his deficiency." _

_ "Oh, right. He was deaf when raising you. How did that work?" Jian inquired. _

_ "Mom knew sign language. She taught me while I was growing in tandem with him teaching me Xinyi Liu He Quan. She translated at first, but I had a complete understanding of the language by age nine. It allowed me to talk to him without Mom's help," I explained. _

_ "She sounds amazing. And you said she left to open a Wing Chun school in Japan?" _

_ I nodded. "We haven't talked since then. She was at Uncle's wedding, apparently, so if I received an invitation, I would've been able to see her. Yet, I was in Metro City, being Belger's bodyguard. Ugh, three and a half years of my life I'm never getting back. Even if it meant traveling the world and eventually adopting you and Xia, my time there was boring on top of it being hell." _

_ "You said that Grandpa Gen taught you the Crane style, right? How was it training under him?" _

_ "Interesting. Grandpa taught Xia and me simultaneously despite teaching us different Martial Arts. He showed Xia Mantis but couldn't finish because her memories came rushing back. Afterward, he decided to send Xia to finish her Opera Singer training, leaving more time to teach me instead. So while Xia was stronger than me, I'm without a doubt stronger than her now. Grandpa Gen says that I'm on par with Grandma Yuya, who's tough in her own right." _

_ "Compared to the School District, that probably means you can give the Grandmasters a tough fight as Grandpa wouldn't marry someone weak. Now that I think about it, he definitely can and strikes me as a charming prince type in his youth." _

_ "If that Charming Prince killed hundreds of people," Jian added. _

_ "Okay, a Prince of Darkness. Close enough." _

_ "I never had the chance to spar with Grandma Yuya, and Grandpa Gen doesn't pay compliments often. If he says you're on the same level as her, then she must've been tough. You should feel proud. The compliment he paid me two days ago was the first time he did so. Period." _

_ "I thought you said that it was also his first time seeing you fight at all?" _

_ Shit. Busted. _

_ "Ah, haha. Caught me there," I admitted my fault. _

_ "See? I've been paying attention, Da-ge. I just act like I'm ditzy, but I'm a lot smarter than I look." _

_ "I wouldn't go so far as to think you were ditzy. I'd say you're mindful of what you want to hear." _

_ Before she could respond, a man walked into the store, not in the mood for buying anything from the expression he gave off. _

_ "Oh great, a challenger. Jian, get the mop," I told my little sister. _

_ "I'm not here to challenge you." He glanced at Jian. "I'm here to challenge her." _

_ That threw us both off. "Me? Why are you challenging me?" _

_ He turned to Jian with a focused expression. "The Lee school has announced that they'll stop attacking Yao until a representative for Hong Kong has been announced. Therefore, Grandmaster Long has ordered to be more vicious in our attacks on him, meaning family is fair game. I challenge you, Jianyu!" _

_ "I can deal with him if you want me to, Jian," I reassured her. _

_ She shook her head. "No, Da-ge. He challenged me. Besides, I need my kicks too." She turned to her opponent. "I'll battle you outside the store. After you." _

_ The pair went outside, seeing as this was an opportunity to see her fight since moving in with me. I temporarily closed the store and followed them. _

_ The Lee school student adopted a Wing Chun stance. Made sense since that's what the Long school taught. Jian formed a hook-like shape with her hands by bringing the fingers inward together, emulating a Crane's beak. She then raised her left leg and crossed it over her right. _

_ "The Crane style? You're going to battle me with a self-defense Martial Art?" the student mocked. _

_ "Jeez, I guess every student from the Schools IS full of themselves. Judge me on my experience, not from the skills I have experience with. I'm not judging you even though your form's wrong," Jian pointed out. _

_ His form was, in fact, wrong, his feet not matching the position of his hands. _

_ "Oh. Uh, I was just checking to see if you knew your stuff. Very good," he feigned intelligence while correcting himself, unaware until Jian called him out. _

_ "Uh-huh, sure you were," Jian remarked. "Now that you're done Gatekeeping me, can we begin?" _

_ "Hmph. Yes, we may!" _

_ He approached aggressively and attacked Jian. She dodged the attacks with minimal effort and redirected them with her beaked hands or crossed leg if unable to avoid contact. _

_ The pupil went for a chain punch, but she challenged and intercepted it, driving her beak against his neck to push him back. Choosing to taunt him, Jian unfolded her hand and beckoned him before re-curling her hand. _

_ Angered by the taunt, the student approached again with less articulation, wildly lunging forward with a punch. Jian slammed her beak against his hand to redirect his momentum downward, knocking him off balance. Jian then showed off her athleticism and flexibility by stretching her right leg behind her back to kick the pupil behind his head. _

_ The pupil spilled on the floor like he was a day one acolyte. Seeing as the battle was over, I started moving to the store. "Alright, Jian. You embarrassed the guy enough. Come on, we have to get back to the shop." _

_ She nodded and bowed at her opponent, but he wasn't done yet. _

_ The pupil tried to punch Jian in the back of her head. Alas, she noticed his attack and easily maneuvered behind him, kicking his spine before jumping on his shoulders. Latching her legs around his neck, she spun him as they both descended to the floor, slamming him down on the street, both feet on his face. _

_ Wait, that's a variation of Jyakoha, Grandpa Gen's technique! I guess he did teach her everything in a year. And when Xia went to school, he had more time to spend with Jian, so that makes sense. _

_ Anyway, she jumped off him and came back to the shop, further humiliating her opponent. "So? How's my Crane Style now?" _

_ All he could do was moan in pain, not even able to form words. _

_ "That's what I thought. You're too inexperienced and close-minded to stand a ghost of a chance." She kicked his side one last time. "Challenge me again after some practice!" _

_ Wait a second. I told Yang that a couple of days ago! Minus the challenge me after some practice part. _

_ "Copying me now, Jian?" I called her out. _

_ Her face became red in embarrassment. "What you said to him was cool, Da-ge. It kinda applied to me, you know?" _

_ I noticed the student starting to stagger back to the schools. "If I were you, I'd keep this duel to myself!" I yelled as he limped away. "Serves him right, challenging you when you have nothing to do with this. Though I guess this was inevitable. Good job, Jian. You wrecked house and represented the store well. Well done." _

_ She grinned happily. "Thanks, Da-ge!" _

And that's what happened.

I found it unnerving that the Long School was targeting Jian in tandem with me. She can handle herself, but she's still my sister, adopted or not. The less she has to battle, the better.

A day after the battle, I woke up earlier than usual and grabbed the scroll before heading up to the building's rooftop. I sat down and took a deep breath to begin reading through the Senjutsu Scroll. I'm glad I took the time to understand Japanese because the text was in Japanese Kanji.

Reading through the scroll gave me a lot of information, but I finished it quicker than anticipated. There was a lot of martial theory but not much instruction, less than what I expected. It is a scroll, after all. I stood back up and closed it before heading back inside.

"You read it a lot faster than I thought," a voice said out of nowhere, stopping me in my tracks.

I looked up but saw nothing.

"Behind you."

Looking behind me, I saw that same old man who gave me permission to take the scroll in the first place. "It's you. I finally get a clear picture."

He had yellow skin and red eyes, quite an odd-looking fellow. He was old with wrinkles atop wrinkles.

"Jeez, Sennin. How old are you?" I asked.

"First off, kid, my name is Oro," he corrected. "Second, it's rude to ask an elder for their age."

"It's rude to ask a lady for their age, Oro. You're a man, as far as I can tell."

Oro scoffed. "Hmph! If you must know, I'm 135 years old. You're 23, correct?" I nodded. "Good. Glad to see my age isn't catching up with me. But back on topic, that is the Ki Control Scroll, yes?"

"It is. It's more theory centric than I thought. I don't feel like I learned anything from reading it, and I felt like the things it told me were things I knew already knew."

The old man chuckled. "That's the point, eh. What's your name?"

"Yao." I introduced myself to the Sennin.

"Good to meet you, Yao. As I previously mentioned, it's supposed to feel like you already knew the basics. We all can be Senjutsu Practitioners and Masters in a sense. The point of the scrolls is to unlock the rest of your brain's capacity, Martial Arts wise."

"What do you mean?"

"Has anyone taken notice of the scroll?"

"My sister thinks it's blank. That's when I knew it was a legitimate Senjutsu Scroll."

"The reason why your sister believes it to be voided of ink is that your body met the mental requirements to understand the complexities of Senjutsu."

"But you said that it's supposed to feel like I'm reviewing old lessons."

"As I stated before, your brain already retained the information. The scroll itself only reminds your brain that it had said information. That's why it feels like something you already knew."

"Huh. Are all the scrolls like that?"

"Mostly. The order in which the scrolls are read also determines how your brain interprets the information. You're a peculiar case since you are the first to read Ki Control first and read it in one sitting. Most would take two, maybe even three sittings, as the scroll blanks. That signifies the Martial Artist needs more mental maturing. This means you can read another one immediately. I don't know if you plan on becoming a Master like me, but this progress is one in a million, Yao. I'm duly impressed."

"Thank you, Oro. Now that I've read the scroll entirely, now what? And how long will I wait until I start feeling effects?" I inquired.

"The effects should take effect the moment you finished reading the scroll. When you start fighting and attempt things you've never done before, it'll be from the scroll. Do some Shadow Boxing. You'll perform the action as if you've done it for as long as your other techniques. During a battle, your reflexes will become second nature, even better than what you thought. Wait, that's a different scroll. Disregard what I just said. You have sharp instincts and quick thinking, so with this unlocked knowledge, I can only imagine what you're capable of now."

"Will I learn the techniques you know?"

"No. These teachings are different than the ones I unlocked after reading the scroll. I also read that scroll second, not first. I'm anxious to see what you do with this knowledge and will see if I can find another one for you. Until next time, Yao."

Oro jumped out of my sight. I gazed at the scroll and immediately put what he told me to the test. I extended my arms overhead, performing a slow windmill before throwing a palm straight ahead. But when I did so, the door to the lower floors nearly flew off its hinges. I froze momentarily, looking at my palm. Is this a technique the scroll unlocked?

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted some pots by the door. I aimed my palms toward them and performed the same motion. Not even a second later, a pot shattered. A side-kick to the next one wasn't nearly as strong in my leg, merely nudging the vase - that made sense. Xinyi Liuhe Quan and Krav Maga aren't known for their kicks, and I didn't learn any striking from Capoeira.

An idea came from this, however. I placed my palms side by side and threw them downward at the floor a few feet in front of me. A small area exploded. Ok, that was new. So I can cause small explosions from palming (I bet a punch can produce the same effect) the floor, and I guess with my will... I palmed the air to create a vacuum of powerful energy.

"Well then, I guess that's what I learned or 'unlocked' as Oro explained. I wonder what else the scroll entailed," I said aloud as I picked it back up. Regardless, I learned a lot, content as I headed back downstairs.

On the way down to the bottom floor where the shop was as it was almost time to open, Jian noticed me. "Good morning, Da-ge. You're up earlier than normal."

"That's because I," I said, waggling the scroll at her. "I did some reading this morning."

She gasped. "You read the scroll? Did you learn anything from it?"

I flipped the sign to 'Open.' "It's kinda hard to explain. From what Oro told me-"

"Who's Oro?"

"The old man who gave me permission to read the scroll. He's a Sennin. But from what he told me, it's not a case of learning something, but reminding my brain that I always knew what was in here."

"I guess that makes sense. Any reason why I can't read it and why it's blank to me?"

"Apparently, it's because you're not enough a master of your Martial Art to understand Senjutsu's numerous complexities. It sounded condescending when Oro told me. Also, the techniques I 'unlock' as he says all depends on the order the scrolls are read."

"What techniques did you unlock?"

"Let me show you on to the rooftop. The shop opens in a few minutes, so my demonstration has to be quick."

We both scurried to the rooftop. "See that pot by the door?" Jian nodded. "Ok, pay close attention. I'm going to shatter it with my palm without touching it."

"Uh, Da-ge. Isn't that impossible?"

"Normally, yes. But watch."

I aimed my left palm and threw it at the pot. As expected, it shattered into pieces. Jian's eyes widened at what she witnessed.

"What the... What was that? What did you just do?"

"When I will it, I can throw a vacuum of energy. There's one more technique I have. Pay attention to the floor in front of you."

"Ok."

She did what I asked as I threw both palms at the ground and caused a small explosion like before, smaller than when I was alone. Must be dependent on how hard I throw my hands. "You created a little explosion from reading that scroll?"

"Uh-huh. Come on, we gotta go back downstairs. I'll explain how I know both those techniques so well soon."

"O-okay, Da-ge," Jian accepted as we both went back to the shop floor.

"Since reading a Senjutsu Scroll is reminding the brain of what it already knew, the information fooled me into thinking I've done those techniques for years. Basically, my subconscious already mastered them. And that's probably only the tip of the iceberg," I claimed.

"I'll be honest with you, Da-ge. Even after the showing and explaining all this, my head hurts from absorbing all that," she admitted.

"That's fair. I felt my explanation was terrible in all seriousness, and the demonstration didn't help matters. I'll clarify if f I come up with a better explanation. The point is, I read the scroll."

The morning went by slow, meaning the rest of today will take forever. I found myself reading the news on days like this. But as I was about to head to Ren's for lunch...

*DING*

I lowered the paper to see who rang the bell, annoyed by the visitor.

"Kid, are you here to challenge me for the  _ third _ time?" I asked the older Lee Twin

Yun's answer surprised me. "No, actually. I'm here to apologize."

I jerked my paper down. "Are you serious?"

To prove his claim, he took his hat off and bowed. "I'm sorry for buggin' you. I just wanted to test how strong I was against you. The butt kickings you handed me showed that I have much to learn, so I appreciate the reality check."

"Jeez, why can't your brother be this respectful? I beat his ass once, and he ratted me out to your grandfather." I told Yun.

"I was there when he did it. It was shallow, even for him. Grandpa kicked his ass something fierce when they got back. Speaking of ass-kickings, I heard that a Long School Pupil challenged Jianyu a couple of days ago, and she beat him easily."

"She did. Even his stance was wrong, and Jian corrected him because he was trying to gatekeep her. So, kid. You still hang around the Lee school?"

"As of a few days ago, I'm a Lee School graduate. Still, everything the other students, Grandpa, and Yang did these past few days made me see how full of themselves they were. Which is why I felt the need to apologize for being an ass," he explained.

I scratched my hair and shrugged. "You're not so bad, kid. I sense your natural talent for Martial Arts since you're Grandmaster Lee's grandkid and Lee's uncle. You took losses better than your brother and knew when you were a dick. Just keep training, and you'll be tough. During our second match, I saw sparks of greatness in your attacks. Just keep refining yourself, and you'll be alright. And thanks for apologizing. I needed some good news since the Long School started targeting Jian."

"That's low for them. I thought Grandpa was gettin' desperate, but the Long school is more desperate. I can tell from our matches that they don't stand a chance against you, Guai Sifu (Master), or Ren. And after what happened to the Long School student who lost to Jianyu, they won't beat her in a one on one confrontation. At this point, I hope you get invited to the World Warrior Tournament soon so they can all stop exposing themselves."

"I don't know, kid. Fei Long is still in contention."

"Nah, I'm confident you're the one that gets chosen. I remember watching you two spar when I was a kid. Despite being two pre-teens, those sparring matches inspired me to train harder. I also remember you beating him most of the time. With him doing films, he doesn't have time to improve himself. Meanwhile, you only got stronger and stronger."

"That's because his sister has a god-given talent for Martial Arts, and it carries her super hard. To the point where she didn't have to train to beat him. She still struggled against me but would probably be better than me and decide to go to culinary school. Martial Arts are a hobby for her. He thought he had the same talent level and didn't train much either, but he and his sister were the Long School's best students. But hey, that's how it goes sometimes." I got up from my stool.

"Jian, I'm going out for lunch! Watch the store while I'm gone!"

"Ok, Da-ge! I'll hold down the fort!" she responded.

I circled the table and left the store. "You ate, kid?"

"Yeah, I did. Aren't you going to Ren Sifu's? My school boycotted her restaurant, remember?"

"Sure, but you're a Master of the school, so it doesn't really apply to you anymore. If you go to her and apologize, she'll accept it as you did with me, but I guess you can do that later." I said before starting for her place. "See ya around, kid."

After saying goodbye to the older Lee Twin, someone spoke behind me. "Well, well, well. I can't believe you're back in Aberdeen."

The feminine voice sounded familiar as I turned around and saw a woman I haven't seen in half a decade: Fu Long.

  
  


**Fu Long, The Blue Zhu Que**

**Date of Birth:** June 11

**Birthplace:** Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

**Height:** 5'5

**Weight:** "Shh, it's a secret!"

**Favorite Color:** Sky Blue

**Likes:** Martial Arts, Culinary Arts, Fei Long, Yao, Ren, Grandmaster Long, Her fellow Chefs at Ren's Restaurant

**Dislikes:** The Lee School Pupils, Hoimei, Grandmaster Lee, Cultural Appropriators, Bad Food, Those who serve Bad Food

**Blood Type:** O-

**Fighting Style:** Wing Chun

**Stage of Choice:** Streets of Aberdeen

**Fun Fact:** Ren is the one who taught her how to cook. It was also Yao's Mother, Jie, who taught Fu, Wing Chun.

**Supposed theme song:** Parker's Mood by Charlie Parker.

"I can say the same for you, Fu. I thought you were going to travel the world as a wandering chef?" I claimed

She gasped and smiled. "You remembered. I did but only did so to see if I'd run into you." Fu Long shrugged her shoulders."Gave up about two years in."

Fu is Fei Long's more patient, easy-going, jolly, older sister, known as the female me due to our similar personalities. She was also my first love. Yet, we were both young and dumb and knew it wouldn't go anywhere. Neither of us regrets it and stayed as good friends. It's rare to see her without a smile; this meeting no exception.

"How long have you've been in Aberdeen for?"

We started walking together. "A week and a half. How about you?"

"A couple of days. I was in Kowloon cooking for Fei and his crew since they're filming there. They heard that the World Warrior Tournament was looking for two representatives for Hong Kong and were all convinced that Fei was getting one, he included."

"That sounds like him. But aren't you better than Fei?"

"Maybe if I continued training, but since I started Culinary School, I didn't have much time to do so. Besides, I barely trained when I did Martial Arts full time."

"Fei doesn't train either. I'm the only one of us three who trained consistently. Plus, you love sandbagging yourself."

Fu laughed in response. "I do, huh? But I'm serious this time around. Plus, I don't think my Sifu fights, so I didn't bring it up to her."

"Who's your Sifu?"

"Ren."

"Ren's your Sifu? Fu, she's Uncle's wife! They spar every day!"

"Huh!? Guai Sifu married Ren Sifu? When?"

"A few years ago. We both weren't here, so yeah, they're hitched. Ren fights with Zui Quan." I answered.

Fu drooped her head comically. "Oh, wow... Now I feel like an idiot. Thanks, Yao."

"For sure, since I only know Ren for a week and a half. I'm on the way to her restaurant."

"Oh, really? Ren Sifu's food is fantastic. Go enjoy it. I'm going to pay Grandmaster Long a visit, maybe berate him for continuing to send his students after you. I'll see you later, Yao."

With a wave and a smile, Fu headed in the opposite direction. As I continued, I felt a finger tap my shoulder. I turned to see a foot about to kick my teeth in. Instinctively, I caught my attacker's leg before it made contact.

My attacker was a woman around Fu's height. She had on a dudou, eight straps all the way to her back with off-white baggy sweatpants, purple tights inside them. On her hands were long fingerless gloves similar to Yun and the punk. Her feet had wraps, hair fashioned into two horn-like bangs with pink ribbons tied in them. She must be a Tae Kwon Do practitioner, if not a master. She was also quite attractive with a phenomenal body and pretty face. Regardless, I didn't appreciate that she tried to kick my head off. I retaliated by elbowing her spine and noticed the dudou straps made a spider-like pattern across her back.

The woman nearly fell but caught herself and used the momentum to spin for another kick. I barely moved out of the way, allowing her to stand back up. The woman scanned me, biting her lip before giving me a smirk filled with sultry intentions.

"Not even going to ask for my name before demanding a battle?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and a focused frown.

She chuckled at my sarcastic remark. "Oh, I know who you are. A guy who pretty much bullies Martial Arts School pupils? Former Mad Gear Second-In-Command? Former traveling duelist? You're kind of a folktale. I was expecting you to dodge my kick. But to stop it completely?" She bit her lip again. "I think I'm in love. Let's see how good you really are."

She rushed with blinding speed and tried to hit me with a furious axe kick, only to see me block it and land a stiff punch on her six-pack, which pushed her back.

It didn't do much to faze her as she was back on me with a spinning back kick that winged my shoulder. Countering through the pain, I grabbed her leg and pulled her towards me before landing a nasty elbow on her stomach. She cringed from the force, crashing on the floor, though quickly recovered despite the need to catch her breath.

"That hurt, Yao. You're doing better than I expected. Besides that back kick knicking your shoulder, I didn't land a hit on you." She bit her lip once again, feeling on the spot where I elbowed her, her left eye glowing. "I'm going to take my time with you."

What in the hell?

She threw a kick at the air, a Sonic Boom like projectile hurled in my direction. Oh, she's  _ that good _ ! I tossed my nameless shot at it, causing the object to disappear. Yet, the woman was on me with renewed vigor, her speed doubled to force me on the defensive. I didn't have enough speed to counter the kick that landed on the side of my knee and quickly transitioned to another strike on my head. Luckily, I braced for it but wasn't expecting her to transition again into an axe kick with the  _ same _ leg! Sheesh, this woman doesn't skip leg day! Her leg hit me dead on my shoulder, throwing me off balance. Quickly, I shifted momentum to land another elbow against her cheek.

She shifted momentum and used it to spin and throw another kick at my face. I block it, and I quickly landed a stiff front kick on her chest. Giving myself some room to breathe, I stretched the bruised shoulder.

"Man, that's going to be so sore tomorrow," I complained to myself.

The woman laughed. "I know that feeling, stud. My abs are definitely going to have a bruise in an hour or two." She felt on her midsection again, wincing once she made contact. Her left eye stopped glowing. "So," She raised her leg up, showing her flexibility, licking her lips seductively. "Ready for round two, sugar?"

Before I could respond, my stomach roared. "Man, how did my lunch break turn into the best fight I've had since coming back? I just wanted some food." I said aloud with a chuckle.

Lowering her leg with wide eyes, the woman gasped, followed by a smirk. "You fought this well on an empty stomach? Damn, I almost lost to you when you were hungry. You're even stronger than I imagined."

"I wouldn't say almost lost; your kicks hurt like hell. Even though you tried kicking my head off, thanks for the match," I thanked the beautiful woman, my fist covering my palm in gratitude.

"A shame you're hungry. I felt like we could've gone for a lot longer. Regardless, I must agree, stud. Best fight I had in months." She blew a kiss then walked up to me before extending her hand. "I'm Juri. Juri Han."

I shook her extended hand. "I've heard of you while in South Korea. Tae Kwon Do prodigy was all I remembered. Admittedly, I've only been in South Korea for about a month and a half."

"I'm flattered, sugar. So, we gonna get somethin' to eat?"

"You're hungry too?"

"Some grub wouldn't hurt right now. You gave me one hell of a workout. Lead the way; I'm right behind you."

"How about next to me instead? I don't want you to attack me when I can't see you," I remarked.

"Wow... Smart, strong, and handsome? You just check all the boxes, don't you?"

We started walking towards Ren's, Juri's flirtatious nature failing to dissipate as I talked. "Exes and past lovers say that I was a good lover. If I didn't leave Hong Kong when I was 18, I think I would be married by now. Makes me glad that I left. I'm too young to be thinking of marriage."

"I hear that, but finding a fuck buddy is nice. Anyway, I didn't want to fight you just because you're tough as hell. I have something for you." She clarified before reaching in her dudou and pulled out a letter that she gave me.

"You kept it in your dudou? Your tits must be chafed," I said bluntly.

"Don't worry about it. Do you know what that is?" Juri asked.

"No, but I get the feeling you're gonna tell me."

"Hmm, quick on the draw with words and fists, huh? I like that. It's an invitation to the World Warrior Tournament, marking you as Hong Kong's strongest Martial Artist. I just had to test you to make sure you were strong enough to accept it."

"Really? You definitely did your research. But you didn't have to bring up my criminal past."

"Had to, no offense. The other invitation givers did so too, but they didn't go as far as I did. You're an interesting person, sugar. What else can I say?"

"That's what you're gonna call me now?"

"Yeah, it fits your look and attitude. I like it. I'll only call you by your real name when things are serious."

"So never, got it."

"Oh, relax. I was offered a job that involved killing you. But now that I fought you and got to know you? I'm glad I refused. I can get so much stronger if we continue battling. Whether it be in a more intimate confrontation or from osmosis."

Juri sure is a sexual woman. I counted three sex euphemisms during this conversation, more if I recall what she said during the fight. I can admire her openness with her sexuality and why I didn't confront her about it.

"Wait, you're an assassin?"

"Not anymore. Let's just say you're not the only one with a criminal background. Don't worry, I won't kill you. You're too good of a sparring partner to do something as dumb as ending your life. Promise," Juri reassured before winking at me.

"Whatever you say, Juri. Alright, we're here," I dryly remarked before opening the door as we both headed inside.

"Welcome! Table-" Ren said before realizing it's me. "Yao, dear! It's good to see you!" She said before hugging me. "Oh, and who is this?"

"Ren, this is Juri Han. A Tae Kwon Do prodigy from South Korea. Juri, this is Ren, my Aunt-in-Law."

"It's nice to meet a fellow Martial Artist. Table for two?"

"Juri?"

"Oh, I thought that's what we were doing by default?"

"Yes, Ren. Table for Two."

After getting situated and getting our food, we talked a bit more. Juri was an assassin, but her boss was a piece of shit, so she just wanders around looking for strong fighters to battle. She's a nomad like I was. Eventually, she was temporarily hired by Shdaloo to hand out my invitation and become my personal pilot. She hates the organization just as much as Chun does but didn't tell me why. I understood it's probably something personal.

"Hey, Juri," I caught her attention while we ate.

"Hmm? What's up, sugar?"

"So... you're my pilot."

"Uh-huh."

"You're the one who gave me the invitation."

"Correct."

"Can I bring my little sister, Jian?"

"Why would you bring your sister? She a Martial Artist too?"

"Yes. Jian uses the Crane style of Kung Fu but has no goals because she's partially amnesiac. I told her that if I get invited, I'll bring her to show her the world to gain some insight into what she wants to do with her life."

"How good is she?"

"One of the best in the country. She can give the Grandmasters a tough battle."

"Can you?"

"I beat them as a pre-teen. Meaning you can, because I'm convinced we're on equal strength."

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, sugar. You're stronger than I am. I would've lost f I didn't use my eye. But your kid sister sounds like she won't be too annoying. She can tag along. But if you want to bring anyone else, they'll have to go through me first."

"Fine with me. I don't plan on bringing anyone else anyway. Ren! How much do we owe you?"

"It's on me, dear! Glad you enjoyed the food. I'll have someone clear the table."

"Alright, Ren. I'll see you later! Let's go, Juri."

"Sure," she said with a sultry smile. "So, what next, sugar?"

"I have to head back to work. The World Warrior Tournament isn't tomorrow." I responded.

Juri moved in front of me and caressed my chest, her undertone remaining strong. "Will we fight again?"

"I would think so, considering you're the one who's going to fly Jian and I around. Don't worry about it, Juri." I tapped her shoulder twice to reassure her.

As we neared the shop, we see a man fly out, followed by another and another. The last one limped out after we heard a snapping sound. Worried, I ran to the door and what I saw was slightly angering.

Jian was kneeling on the floor, holding her right arm as Fu examined her injury.

I ran up to them. "Jian! What happened?"

"I was chatting up your sister, as she told me that you adopted her and her older twin when four Long School Pupils showed up. Since you were at Ren Sifu's eating, Jian fought them in your place, and I helped. We dealt with them, but the last one to leave nearly broke Jian's arm.

"Don't worry about me, Da-ge. I'm ok. My arm hurts but isn't broken."

I can't believe this shit. The one time I go on break is the time the Long school sends pupils to the store. I didn't want to go to the school directly, but this crap has gone too far.

"Juri," I called for my pilot.

"Yeah?"

I gazed at her with a focused look in my eyes. "Can you still fight?"

A smirk formed on her lips, her expression turning dark. "Of course."

"Fu, take Jian to Uncle Guai. He can give a more detailed diagnosis of the injury."

"What are you going to do?"

"Juri and I are going to dojo bust the Long school. C'mon," I said as we headed for the school district.

"This is normal over here?" Juri asked.

"Not to this extent. Ever since the World Warrior Tournament was announced and my return here, the district's two schools send their pupils to challenge and discourage me from entering."

"Obviously, that shit failed because you were given a Grand Invitation. Word didn't get around?"

"Not since you gave it to me half an hour ago. The Lee school all but dropped out of the running after I beat up the Grandmaster's grandkid. But the Long school started targeting Jian in conjunction with me, Ren, and my Uncle. She dealt with her first challenger easily a couple of days ago. Now, if I didn't go out for lunch, she wouldn't have had to fight four of them with Fu."

"You really can't blame yourself, sugar. It was not only a coincidence but extreme luck on their part. Relax." Juri reassured me.

I took a deep breath. "That may be so, but involving Jian in of itself was too much as she isn't mentally prepared like we are. Without proper motivation, she'll never evolve as a person or a Martial Artist. That's why I asked you to let me bring her with me. But we can talk about philosophy later. Right now, I want to beat some punks up."

"Say no more, sugar." Juri complied without complaint. "Anything I can't do?"

"No killing nor indefinite comas. You can cripple them, though, because that's how far I'm going to go. I don't need to blow my probation because either of us went too far."

"Got it. I guess this is our first date, sugar."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "You have an interesting view on romance."

"Then I guess I'm a weirdo and then some, sugar. One day with you, and I've had more fun than the last three months combined. I'm looking forward to flying around with you and your kid sister." Juri responded as we made it to the School District.

The Lee School Pupils noticed me and ran inside. The other schools followed suit except for the Long school.

"That must be the Long School if they're still going with their lessons."

"Yeah, you're right. You Dojo Busted before?"

"No, but I know of the custom. Challenge the toughest student and take a trophy of some sort if you win."

"Correct, but the two of us are more than a match for them all. We're challenging everyone in the building. If the Grandmaster gets involved, we'll fight him too. You can even use that weird thing in your eye."

"Oh, you don't give a shit about them, huh?" Juri asked with a malicious grin.

"Save for Fu, the woman who was with Jian, and her brother, I don't. But restrain yourself. You're more bloodthirsty than I am naturally. I'm a Pseudo-Buddhist, so I don't kill unless absolutely necessary."

"I'll respect your decision, sugar. Don't worry," she said as we stopped in front of the school, two students outside.

"Ready, Juri?"

"Always, sugar."

"Let's go."

We both rushed the students who noticed us when it was too late. I palmed one pupil in the face hard, hearing cracking sounds in his cheek before harshly hammering him on the floor.

Juri kicked the other pupil in the chest as I slammed my shoulder into his spine. I moved out of the way, so Juri could land a spinning back kick, practically caving his face in. I grabbed the pupil and lifted him up before kicking down the door to the school, all the pupils looking on in horror as I tossed the pupil on the floor, so they saw his bruised face.

You could hear a pin drop in the room as Juri and I stared at our opponents, every last one of them.

"We're here because four of you showed up to my shop to challenge me when I was on break. Instead of leaving or waiting, you decide to attack my little sister as well as one of your graduates. Jian isn't planning to enter the World Warrior Tournament, nor did she ever intend to. Therefore, you've overstepped the boundaries. What we've done to this pupil is a precursor."

I placed a fist under my palm as a challenging gesture. Juri bowed in response though she scoffed while getting ready.

"We challenge  _ all  _ of you."

Juri wasted no time and rushed the closest pupil. One ran at me, but I threw an energy vacuum to down him immediately. Another pupil came in with a punch, only to have it intercepted before I slammed my arm against his elbow joint, the bone snapped in two.

*SNAP*

I then followed a harsh palm to his cheek and shoulder to his abdomen, causing him to spill on the floor. The next victim was on me, attempting a windmill punch. I caught the limb an armlock as I tossed him across the room.

Another student charged in with a front kick. I was able to see him coming before parrying the attack and retaliating with my own kick. It felt like molasses compared to Juri's flurry of kicks she hit me with earlier today. I hammer fist his leg, forcing him to stand uncomfortably while I punched him square in his chest as he flew back.

One rushed at me, but a vicious kick to the face hurled him into the nearest wall.

Juri was battling another student, more like tormenting her opponent. She kicked him dead on the jaw and, with her opposite foot, nailed him with an axe foot against his abdomen, no doubt shattering a rib.

A pupil tried to attack my blind side, but my fist lodged in his stomach, followed by a palm to his chin and shoulder to his chest, halted any sneak attack.

A student rushed downstairs to see Juri and I standing over the unconscious legion of Long school students.

"Get the Grandmaster," I ordered him.

He ran back upstairs. We heard low chatter, nothing we couldn't make out. Soon enough, we see four more students rushing down the steps.

One student tried being flashy with a spinning back kick of his own. I grabbed him while he was in the air before slamming him on his spine before stomping on his face as I moved on to the next one nearest to him, Juri going after the two on the opposite side.

He threw a punch, but I block it effortlessly and elbow his temples one after another before kneeing his chin, following up with a kick with the same foot. I nailed him with an uppercut after gaining a sudden energy surge. I began a rush of punches all throughout his torso, the final one sending him through the trophy display. I took a deep breath as I look at the mess Juri and I made.

"C'mon, Juri. Let's not keep the Grandmaster waiting."

"After you, sugar," she responded as I led the way.

Lo and behold, the Grandmaster was there sitting in front of us. "I had a feeling you would show up on our doorstep but not with this much anger and malice as the intention."

"Don't act like a prophet, Grandmaster Long. You brought this on yourself, bullying the Marketplace for years because they didn't practice Martial Arts. This is Karma coming full circle. You're lucky we didn't put any of your pupils into a coma."

"You can kill our students; it doesn't matter. Until someone receives an invitation to the World Warrior Tournament, I will keep sending my students after your family to cement our legacy."

"Well, old fart. You're too late." Juri answered. "Because I'm one of the TO's of the World Warrior Tournament, and the big man in charge chose Yao here as representative one for Hong Kong." She dug her hand into my pocket to pull out my invitation. "His place has been cemented, so you can stop sending your students after him and his sister."

"I hope your school never recovers from this, Grandmaster, with all due respect. But you're letting your grandson's fame get to you. Fei would never approve of this shit and isn't above badmouthing the place. You know this. Imagine if what you did to Jian got to him? Because Fu knows as she helped Jian fight the challengers you sent after me off." I explained to him as my anger had utterly dissipated.

Juri placed a hand on my shoulder. "We'll take our leave now, Grandpa. Try not to have a heart attack cleaning up the mess downstairs. Let's go, sugar."

I bowed before leaving. "Grandmaster." Was all I said before we left the school.

"Wow, sugar! That was fun! I enjoyed fighting alongside you like that. We got chemistry," Juri complimented.

"So we do, Juri. I think this is the start of a strong, if not interesting, friendship. Let's go check on Jian."

"Sure, I got nothin' better to do at the moment," Juri said as we walked to Uncle's house.

"It's nothing too serious, just a sprain," he explained the injury's extent when we arrived. "Fu told me of where you and Ms. Han went. Can't say that I would've stopped you. If anything, I would've gone with you to help and taken Ren as well." Uncle explained. "Jianyu will be ok in a day. She just needs to ice the sprain."

"You ok, Jian?"

"Mmhmm. I'm sorry to worry you."

"It's alright. Plus, it's all good because I got this." I showed her my invitation, and her eyes glowed.

"You got an invitation for the World Warrior Tournament?"

"Yup. Juri here is my pilot. Or should I say, our pilot, as she agreed to take you with me. Say Juri, when does the tournament begin anyway?"

"Not for another couple of weeks. We still have to find out who the second representative for Hong Kong is. And for that, there'll be a tournament held in Kowloon a week from now. The winner will receive the second invitation; thus, the tournament can officially start," Juri explained.

"We should go see the tournament ourselves. Seeing as I received an invitation, I don't have to enter."

"Sounds like a plan, sugar."

"I can run the store while you're gone, nephew. Don't worry about it. Go have fun, and do us proud. That goes for you too, Jianyu," Uncle said to us.

"Uh-huh. Thanks, Uncle Guai."

"Fu left?"

"She went back to Ren's as she was on break when she met me."

Fu did say that Ren was her Sifu in a cooking sense. Guess she must've gone to help out.

"Well, I'm going back to run the store for a couple more hours before closing early." I then yawned. "I need a nap after dojo busting the Long school."

"Oh, shit! We forgot to take a trophy!" Juri said.

"Please, crushing the Long School's ego was enough of a prize. But if you want to take their banner, I won't stop you." I said before heading for the door. "See you all soon."

At last, I got my invitation. But in a week, I'll know who'll be representing Hong Kong with me. Guess I have to wait a little while longer before I can be left the hell alone. Oh, well. At least the tournament will give me a suitable place to test out the powers I unlocked from the Scroll.

I can't wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And that wraps up that chapter. Juri joins the cast as well as Fu Long, Fei Long's older sister.
> 
> Clearly, Fu is an OC. I came up with her as an inspiration from the Ip Man prequel film. If you recall, the three central characters were Ip Man, Tin Chi, and Mei-wai. So Yao is Ip, Fei Long is Chi, and Fu is Mei. Her theme being Parker's Mood is parallel to her personality. Parker's Mood is a slow blues and considered to be pretty sad. That fits Fu as she's a lost love who hides her feelings of letting Yao go exceptionally well.
> 
> Juri clearly has her own theme, but I want to give her a different one since anything is better than the shit that is her SFV theme. So if I were to provide Juri with one, it would be Bloodstained Lineage from GGXX. If you don't know, that's Testament's theme, and I think it fits well with Juri's wild, psychotic personality. Even if my take of her so far has been kinda subdued in comparison.
> 
> What'd you think of the chapter? Did you like it? Did you not? Let me know with a Review or a PM, and while you're at it, check out my editor, alwaysdoubted's pages, and give our stories a read. Be careful. We may have gotten the orange out of office, but there's still the pandemic to worry about.
> 
> I'll see you all soon.


	7. It's Been Decided

The tournament to decide the second representative of Hong Kong was being held in Kowloon, not in District 1. That meant we had to take a ferry from Aberdeen to Kowloon. Thankfully, I didn't have to participate since I got the Grand Invitation from Juri last week. Part of me is looking forward to seeing who's going to enter.  
Getting the invitation finally got the schools to stop attacking me and the others. Now, their best pupils will enter this mini-tournament to see who'll represent Hong Kong with me. Neither Uncle Guai nor Ren will enter since fighting isn't their only skill. Plus, Uncle is now living the retired life since he gave me rein over the Medicine Shop. But he's taken over on an interim basis now that I'm in the World Warrior Tournament until I'm either eliminated or win the whole thing. I'm glad I read the Scroll when I did. Otherwise, I might not have one as well as I did against Juri.  
Speaking of Ms. Han...  
Since she's flying us, Juri practically inserted herself into my and Jian's life. The other students who used to challenge us now instead take on Juri. Pretty stupid if you ask me. At least I restrained myself. Juri could care less how wide the skill gap is. If I didn't tell her to spare her opponents, she would have ended many lives. She also made it a personal goal to battle me every day to keep my Martial skills sharp, she says. I think she's just looking for an excuse to make some kind of contact with my body. I'm convinced that if I ask Juri to sleep with me, she'll jump at the opportunity. But I'll keep that to myself, and so should you.  
Anyway, Juri and I headed to Kowloon via a ferry and purchased a rental car on our way to the site as she drove.  
"Hey, Juri," I caught her attention.  
"What is it, sugar?"  
"Did you ever take the Long school's banner? Since we didn't take a trophy when we busted the place."  
"I considered it, but taking into account what you said, crushing egos are much more satisfying. There's enough salt in the wound already, so I didn't bother. Plus, the grandpa's students keep challenging me despite what we did, so beating them up makes up for not taking the banner. Are all the pupils in the school district that dumb?"  
"You'd be surprised. At least with this tournament, they'll be too focused on the opposition to pick fights with us."  
"I'm mad that I couldn't get one more sparring match out of you before we left."  
"Juri, we're going to be traveling together for a while. You're going to force more sparring matches out of me in the meantime. But for now, I want to relax since I'll be fighting my ass off when the tournament begins."  
"Oh, seeing you sweat will be a nice sight, sugar. I'm looking forward to it," she flirted while continuing to drive.  
When we arrived, the arena was packed with Martial Artists from around the country. I recognized a fair amount from the School District. The rest must be from other cities. When we arrived, a constructed ring and a set of steps were off to the side. Ring outs are most likely in effect when the tournament begins.  
I felt a tap on my shoulder while surveying the ring and turned around to see Fu, her smile bright and confident as ever. "What are you doin' here? I thought you got an invitation already?"  
"I did but wanted to see who would represent Hong Kong with me. My pilot and I are here. What about you, Fu? What are you doing here?"  
She gave a coy smile. "Whaddya think? I'm an entrant."  
That confused me. "I thought you were going to focus more on your cooking skills?"  
"And miss the chance to represent my home with you? Like hell! At the very least, I wanna see where I stack up with the rest of Hong Kong's finest. Ren Sifu is here to support me. If I don't win, I'll be gunning for the finals. I heard Fei's gonna be here too. He wasn't thrilled that you got the invitation, and he has to fight for the last spot."  
"Sounds like him. He was always looking for an excuse to be angry even when we were kids. Me beating him up was enough reason back then. Now regarded as Hong Kong's best is his reason now. Not being in his life for those years I was traveling was probably the reason he was angry then."  
"Yea, it does. Well, I'm gonna go warm-up before the tourney starts. Catch ya later, Yao," Fu said as she walked off.  
Juri walked next to me after she was out of sight. "Think she's gonna win?"  
"She's one of my picks. Fu has a lot more talent for Martial Arts than her brother and even me but never wanted to do it full time. She wanted to and became a chef but practiced Wing Chun as a hobby. She would hand her brother his ass many times when we were growing up together," I answered. "Her brother is the other pick. Talented but rarely train. Somehow, his talent got him extremely far, to the point where he landed a gig as an actor. His fame put Aberdeen on the map in terms of Martial Arts cities. But you know how the others took it."  
An admittedly bratty voice I recognized called my name. "Yao! I've been looking for you, and I finally found you."  
I turned around to see that familiar girl in a maid outfit in a similar color as my robe. She had both hands on her hips, a look of contempt across her face. I'm not liking where this conversation's gonna go.  
Regardless, I greeted her. "Tongku. Surprised to see you here."  
"Don't act all buddy-buddy with me. Where the hell have you been? You said you were going to give me a rematch when next you were in Kowloon."  
"Have you wondered that I haven't been in Kowloon long enough to seek you out? Has our match four years ago left you that steamed?"  
"Yes. You don't beat me, break my streak, then leave. Next thing I hear, you're invited to the World Warrior Tournament to represent Hong Kong. So I marched out here in the hopes of running into you."  
"Who's the brat?" Juri asked me, annoyed as I was, if not more so.  
"This, Juri, is Tongku. The former champion of the Earthshaker's Grand Tournament here in Kowloon."

Tongku, The Sanda Maid  
Date of Birth: February 6th  
Birthplace: Kowloon, Hong Kong, China  
Height: 4'3  
Weight: 123 lbs  
Favorite Color: Blood red, black, blue, gold, and dark green  
Likes: Fighting strong opponents, beating people up, completely crushing someone in a fight, her family, Akuma, Juri Han, being and dressing like a maid  
Dislikes: People who fight dirty, being pitied, being mocked, people she thinks are killjoys, other girls, Balrog  
Blood Type: O  
Fighting Style: Sanda, prefers punching moves  
Stage of Choice: Earthshaker's Grand Tournament (an underground fighting arena)  
Fun Fact: Tongku often competes in several underground fighting tournaments and does very well in them. She also thinks that fighting is a sacred thing and getting banned from it disgraces its name.  
Theme Song: Either Oriental Flower, Litchi's theme from Blazblue CT and CS or Chinese Tea ~ Shanghai Teahouse, the theme of Hong Meiling.  
Bonus Fact: This was an OC requested by a user named Curse of Kings (yes, I'm name dropping you.). She was originally an OC from the Touhou Project series, but he pitched her as a Street Fighter OC instead. Said he wanted a female character in SF that throws hands since most of them are kickers. He's right for the most part. (Chun, Juri, Elena, and Cammy, to name a few) Hopefully, I'm doing the character justice since I never played the games where she originated from.

"So where have you been!?"  
"Around the world. I told you, I entered the Earthshaker Tournament to earn enough money to leave Hong Kong. I was gunning for third since it would've given me more than enough. Wasn't expecting to win the whole thing."  
"Not only did you beat me, but you also discount the victory? You're a piece of shit."  
"One loss isn't going to kill you, Tongku. Relax." I tried to calm her down.  
"Yeah, kid. Shut up. Stop being a cry baby about one loss," Juri interjected. "And why the hell are you dressed like a maid?"  
"Because she apparently is one. Tongku's deeply connected to the mafia here in town, or so I've heard. Don't know the details or if it's even true since I haven't had a hit put out on me or something," I answered. "So, Tongku. Is your bugging me the only reason why you're here?"  
"No. I'm here to enter the tournament and be the second representative of Hong Kong and hopefully match against you at some point."  
"I'm not surprised you're only entering to get a rematch out of me. If you want the title back so badly, I can just give you the belt back. I don't plan on entering the Earthshaker's Tournament anytime soon."  
Her face contorted in anger. "And disgrace the tradition and myself? I have to win the title back. If you vacate the spot, I'll never forgive you."  
"Well, good thing I'm not looking to get on your good side," I countered. "The tournament's about to start, and I think you're up first." I pointed a finger to the battle arena. "Get your four feet of fury to the ring."  
"Uh-huh. Watch me, especially you, Juri Jie Jie." Tongku said as she stomped past us.  
Looking around, people started to notice me; the students Juri and I trashed, vocally saying, "Yāoguài! Yāoguài!" They yelled as they pointed at me.  
"What the hell are they saying? I don't understand Chinese."  
"Yāoguài means monster in Mandarin. They're calling me a monster due to their short-sightedness," I replied, annoyed at the nickname given to the other Martial Artists of Aberdeen.  
Juri laughed at how weak the others were. "Wow, short-sighted is right. They must hate me then."  
I think all the people here participating or supporting are here.  
The tournament's about to begin.  
A bunch of no-names slogged through a majority of the first round. Ren eventually found Juri and I and watched the matches with us.  
The next battle involved two people I've grown all too familiar with.  
Yun and Yang, the Lee twins.  
A day after I got my invitation, Yun told me that he and the punk would enter to see where they stack up with the rest of the country. I wished Yun good luck and hoped his punk twin would get knocked out in round one. Didn't tell him that, but I had the feeling he knew.  
"I'm still disappointed in you, Yang," Yun spoke.  
"You're still on that, Yun?"  
"Yeah, I am! Complainin' to Grandpa about how Yao beat you up? That's low even for you, bro."  
*Tch* "Whatever. It's too late for regrets now that Yao's the number one Martial Artist from Hong Kong. But I will be number two and get my rematch. Even if it means going through you," Yang said as he got ready.  
"Oh, Yang. Always overextendin' your expectations. If you were as good as you think, you'd know that either of us winning is near impossible. Now, let me show an obstacle that'll always impede your progress," Yun proclaimed.  
Juri whispered in my ear, "Who do you got?"  
"Yun. He's more knowledgeable about Ba Ji Quan and knows more about its defense than Yang does. Yang can exploit its power but doesn't have the stamina to compensate. Yun doesn't either, hence why he picks his moments of aggression more intelligently. He also pays better homage to the school's origins while Yang is more creative in his approach. Yang has an inferiority complex in terms of Martial Arts when it comes to his brother. He's always trying to surpass him when he should be more focused on improving himself," I answered.  
"Well said, dear. I agree with you completely. Yang certainly can be miles better than his brother, but his motivations are all wrong. And that hampers him," Ren added to my analysis.  
On cue, Yang was growing tired due to his boisterous take on his family's style. Yun picked up and pounced like a shark that smelled blood. He fiercely palmed his brother's face and quickly followed up with a fierce shoulder. The ensemble of attacks finished with a stiff punch to Yang's gut, which sent him upward and out of the ring in front of us. Juri had to fight down laughter at how hard Yang landed on the floor.  
"Sorry, bro! But I had to do that to ya. Alright, round two for me! Let's go!" Yun exclaimed as he hopped off the ring before bowing before us. "Yao Sifu, Ren Sifu, Ms. Han."  
"I'm not a Sifu, Yun. You can put a lid on the formality in my case."  
"But you're the best Martial Artist in Hong Kong. I'm just trying to be respectful." He gazed at his fallen brother. "Unlike Yang."  
"And as your better, I'm saying that you don't have to," I responded.  
"You didn't do too bad, kid. But good luck tryin' to win the whole thing." Juri hit him with logic.  
"I know, I don't like my chances either since Fu and Fei Long are in the tournament too. But I didn't enter to win.; I entered to see how much I've improved." Yun then picked up Yang. "Now I gotta go find Grandpa." He tipped his hat before walking off. "See you later, Sifus."  
"He's grown a lot since you've returned."  
"Sure has. Yun's potential hasn't been reached, but he'll be a terror in time. Can't say the same about the punk, however," I responded as we looked to see who's next.  
Who else would it be but Tongku.  
She was up against one of the last men to challenge me, from the Long school if I remember correctly.  
I received a new shipment of ointments for the store by the town's docks, and he forced a battle out of me. I broke a few ribs, left a bruise on his cheek, and then kicked him into the stream. Surprised he still entered.  
The students were mocking Tongku's... everything. She's a 14-year-old, 4'3 girl in a maid costume against a man who's almost twice her height and weight. Her horn-rimmed glasses and apron weren't helping matters. It mostly came from the Aberdeen participants as Kowloon fighters know how tough Tongku is. Her bratty attitude goes away when it's time to fight, exposing a closeted sadist who loves to inflict pain onto others.  
"You wanna give up, little girl? I don't think I could sleep at night knowing I'm gonna be beating up a minor." Her opponent inquired.  
She put her fists up to her chests in response. "Just shut up and fight."  
The man scoffed before getting into position. He quickly closed the distance due to Tongku's short height and moved in for a kick. Still, Tongku telegraphed his movement and dodged it before landing a crushing punch against his ribs. That must've hurt considering I broke them last week. He fell and scorpioned after hitting the floor. Damn, Tongku knocked the guy out in one punch.  
"Boxing?" Ren wondered aloud.  
"No, Sanda. At least the punching part. She doesn't like to kick; I didn't bother asking her for whatever reason. She doesn't get mad when I kick her, but whenever someone else does, she mocks them for it."  
"I admire the perspective since Zui Quan is Drunken Boxing. However, I don't think that's the right way to approach it," Ren remarked.  
"I agree. But don't let her know that. Tongku's pretty one track-minded about it."  
A general silence emerged from the Aberdeen crowd, not expecting one of the Lee school's best to be downed in one punch. Tongku was really disappointed.  
*Tch* "Waste of my time. Why can't they give me the spot already if the competition's gonna be this easy?" She said before punting her opponent and leaving the arena.  
The other contestants winced and moved out of the way as Tongku walked past them.  
"She's got issues," Fu said as she approached us. "But I'm up next. This should be easy."  
"Best of luck, Fu," Ren wished her student well.  
She bowed in respect. "Thank you, Ren Sifu."  
"Knock 'em dead, Fu," I said.  
"You know it."  
"You two used to date or somethin'?" Juri asked.  
"We did when we were younger. I broke it off before turning 18. Why? Jealous?" I asked in response, giving a small hint of flirtation.  
"Oh, don't do that. I had a feeling there was something between you two. And yeah, I am jealous," she admitted.  
Fu's opponent walked to the opposite end of the ring. They made respective gestures before getting in their stances. Fu's smile reverted to a confident smirk and a general aloof expression.  
"Someone's confident in themselves," Juri noted.  
"My pupil certainly isn't lacking in it. As long as I've known Fu, confidence is something she never lacked. Whether it be in cooking or battling, she trusts her skills. She can hold her own with nearly anyone, her being akin to a chameleon. Her adaptability is rivaled only by Yao and her brother. Even when she wasn't a master at either, Fu still had it but was just a punk. She embraced it, which makes her confidence all the more refreshing and authentic," Ren explained.  
"But not just in her abilities. I'm talkin' about confidence in general. Her punkish hair, the piercings in her ears, the way she carries herself, how she kills her outfit. It all leaks self-worth." Juri leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I can see why you were attracted to her, sugar."  
Fu always cut her hair into a bob, even when we were younger. Just a little shorter than Fei's haircut. She has four studs in each ear and a lip ring on the right end. And her robes were a deep blue that somehow complimented her brown hair and eyes.  
"Fu knows how strong, smart, and beautiful she is. And she doesn't see a problem with letting people know is all. The smirk completes everything. Fu wouldn't be herself without it."  
And speaking of Fu, she was absolutely dismantling her opponent.  
She aggressively challenged her opponent's approaches by interlocking with her arms and continued doing so until she cornered him and went on the offensive.  
Fu landed a stiff front kick on his abdomen, knocking her opponent off balance before unleashing a fury of windmill punches to his stomach up to his face. The connected sound echoed throughout the area. She continued with an elbow to the other cheek before back fisting the stomach area where she kicked earlier, following another punch to the cheek.  
Two side kicks to his hips would've rung him out, but Fu grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back into the ring before kicking his face. To finish, she stomped on his toe and then elbowed the cheek she just kicked, knocking her opponent out. Before coming down, she bowed at her downed opponent.  
"Yes, dear! That's the way," Ren complimented her student.  
"Thank you, Ren Sifu. Those matches we had really knocked the rust off."  
"Jeez, Fu. Fight like that, and the invitation's yours."  
Fu's smirk became a smile once again. "Hehe, guess I've been sandbagging again, huh?"  
"That was okay," Tongku said as she walked up to us. "But the fact that you kick discounts your victory. Kicking is for men or the weak."  
"That's quite the stretch, kid. That guy who you beat was a quick shot. He always talked a big game but never backed it up. If anyone's victory was discounted, sweetie, it's yours," Fu challenged.  
Tongku became irked with those comments. "Hmph. How can you bring yourself to do that when your punches and elbows and arms can shatter bones on contact?"  
"Because I have an open mind. Why give myself an unnecessary handicap? Besides, I barely use my feet, only as an interruption method. If anything, Juri kicks much more than me due to being a Tae Kwon Do practitioner." Fu brought up a multitude of good points, showcasing her fighting IQ.  
"Juri Jie Jie doesn't count to an extent. Even though I think most Tae Kwon Do practitioners are stupid. She's the sole exception to the rule."  
"Ooh, I'm flattered, kid." Juri's left eye gleamed. "But Tae Kwon Do and the people who use it aren't dumb, and I'll break your face if you say so again."  
Tongku smiled in admiration. "Yes, Jie Jie." She complied without resistance.  
Juri looked at me, probably for a translation. "Big sister. She's calling you big sister. Tongku didn't strike you as a hypocrite."  
"Shut up, Yao! I put up with you because you beat me; I don't have the same respect for your girlfriend."  
"Ex-girlfriend," Fu immediately corrected, her confident smile in full effect. "And if I have to beat you to shut you up, then so be it."  
Tongku smiled maliciously in return. "The feeling's mutual." She then left our company.  
"I wonder how a conversation between her and Jian would go," I wondered aloud.  
"There will be a lot of tension if I had to wager," Ren answered. "The first round is almost over. It seems that your brother's match is next."  
Fu scratched her hair. "It is, but where is he? He said that he was wrapping up filming today. Does he know if he's late, it means a DQ?"  
"Oh, look! It's Fei Long!" One of the contestants said.  
Fei Long came in with his crew as everyone made way for them.  
"Dude, it was like this when I was their cook."  
"Talk about a hero's welcome," I said.  
Fei Long noticed us and walked in our general direction. Another silence hushed the crowd as the younger Long sibling finally made it to our group. He stared me down, a prominent frown plastered on his face.  
Finally, he extended his hand. "It's good to see you, old friend." I shook my friend's hand as the crowd watched in awe. "I hope the schools haven't been too annoying while you were back home."  
"They were, but it's good to see you, Fei," I greeted him. "I was expecting you to swing at me."  
"Tempted. Four and a half years, and I haven't heard a peep from you."  
"But that would be out of character, right? How about you tell me you're gonna win this tournament so you can have a shot at beating me in the World Warrior Tournament too?"  
Fei scoffed. "Sounds about right. I see you haven't changed much besides physical appearances. You grew a lot taller since last I saw you. No doubt you've gotten stronger if you got the Grand Invitation over me." He then noticed Fu and Ren before bowing at the latter. "Jie Jie, Ren Sifu."  
"Fei, you're late. You almost got disqualified, and you're lucky your match was last in the first round. I don't think the proctors would've waited much longer." Fu chastised her brother, who paid her no mind.  
"Then I guess I better get to the ring. We'll talk later," Fei said as he removed his shirt, tossing it to one of his crew members before jumping into the ring.  
No surprise, he won easily. Despite everyone thinking they knew Fei Long's original fighting style, they didn't have a solitary clue. His inferior opponent went down in one Rekkaken.  
"Quite the style he has. I applaud his creativity," Ren complimented his Hitenryu.  
"Yeah, he definitely evolved from just using Wing Chun like me, even though he still can't do proper windmill punches. Personally, I think he could've waited a few more years before making Hitenryu. But to each his own."  
"Wait, he can't do windmill punches?"  
Fu choked down laughter. "Nope. The Rekkaken is just his attempt at doing one. Don't tell him that; he gets furious when someone tells him."  
The tournament went onward. Yun was eliminated by Tongku in round 3 while Fei made it to the finals. It was down to Fu and Tongku; the loser gets third place.  
"I've been looking forward to putting you in your place," Tongku coldly spoke.  
"Sure you will. But not using your feet is a gargantuan sized weakness, as you'll soon see," Fu responded, her smirk as strong as ever.  
The pair got in their stances. Soon, Fu's theory was being put in full effect. She practically assaulted Tongku's legs and knees, leaving countless bruises on her lower extremities. Eventually, it visibly hurt Tongku to stand, and that's when things snowballed. If Fu got the opportunity to attack, she'd always start with the leg before working up to the torso.  
Fu slammed her sole against Tongku's knee in the final sequence while the latter was off balance and punched Tongku in the face hard before tossing her out of the ring. Fu was the victor looking no worse for wear.  
"Sorry I had to do that to ya. But I'm the one who's gonna battle my brother, not you. Go back to your grandpa," Fu taunted as she proved her mettle.  
Fei Long walked toward the ring. "I'm not surprised we're battling in the finals. Your time as a chef has done nothing to hamper your Martial ability."  
"Oh, it did. I just had Ren Sifu help me shake the rust off. Yao is much stronger than us both right now," Fu replied.  
"Stronger than you, certainly. But Yao being stronger than me after all these years has yet to be proven."  
"Please, Fei. He and the woman he's with Dojo Busted the entire Long school. No one had done that before, even if he had company."  
"So he has gotten stronger since last I saw him. I'm not surprised in the slightest. It seems like he keeps getting harder to surpass."  
"Fighting is in his blood. He was trained from the moment he could walk and has insane potential that hasn't been fully unleashed. You wanted to be an actor. Being in action films isn't close enough."  
*Tch* I'd rather not talk about that right now. Worry about beating me and representing Hong Kong with him. Prepare yourself, Jie Jie," Fei said as he readied himself.  
Fu did the same, and the finals began.  
The battle was fierce, but Fei held the advantage of putting Fu on defense from the word go. Even though he isn't a master like his sister, Fei knows the strengths and weaknesses of Wing Chun and capitalized on Fu sharing them.  
"She isn't doing too well and won't last much longer," Juri mentioned.  
"Sad, I was rooting for her. Now I have to beat Fei if I match up against him, or else he'll never shut up."  
Eventually, Fu was forced onto her knee, breathing heavily while bleeding from her forehead. "I give. I give, Fei," she conceded. "I'm too tired from the earlier matches. Guess I lost my stamina when I stopped doing Martial Arts full time."  
"You can't be serious, Fu. You're giving up?"  
"Better to relent than to further embarrass myself. You win," she humbly accepted defeat.  
When she could stand up, Fu got down from the ring. The crowd applauded Fei Long's victory and became the second representative of Hong Kong. Scowl still present, he jumped down and made a beeline toward me.  
"Don't get eliminated before I get my rematch," he commanded before walking away.  
One crew member grabbed the invitation and scurried to catch up with him. Finally, the crowd began to disperse as we went to check on Fu.  
"I'm sorry, dear. You did phenomenal otherwise," Ren began.  
"Thanks, Sifu." Fu eyed me. "I guess I won't be fighting alongside you after all, Yao."  
"Don't beat yourself up, Fu. The fact that you got second is amazing," I reminded her.  
"Yeah, I'm proud of my performance today. But do me a favor."  
"What is it?" She walked up to me and placed a finger on my chest.  
"If you do fight Fei, beat his ass for me. "Fame has gotten to his head, and someone needs to knock him down a peg. Who better than you, or at least someone in this tournament. But it should be you."  
She wasn't wrong, but even when we were kids, Fei was always so entitled.  
"Don't worry, Fu. I'll remind him of the pecking order if we do meet."  
Her smile returned after I said that. "Thanks. Best of luck, I'll be rooting for you."  
Fu then did the unthinkable, leaning in to peck my cheek. "I'll see you later. Alright, Sifu. Let's go so I can address the wounds."  
The pair then walked off, leaving just Juri and myself. Why did she do that? Does that mean Fu still has... dormant feelings for me? Perhaps. She's grown even more attractive since we were kids, but I was sure we'd remain friends. Then again, I'd be lying to myself if I didn't feel some sort of way for her.  
"Well, sugar. That was exciting to watch." Juri broke me out of my stupor. "What say we head back to Aberdeen and get a match of ourselves goin'?"  
Before I could answer, I heard more footsteps. "You hear that?"  
She nodded. "Yeah. Are they gettin' louder?"  
We surveyed the immediate area, and the person I saw was someone I wasn't expecting at all.  
"Watch out!" I shouted as we dodged in opposite directions.  
I backed away and saw a red boxing glove coming full speed for my face. I parried the fist and used my forward momentum to throw the man overhead. I turned and looked at my aggressor.  
"Balrog... What are you doing in Hong Kong?"  
"What does it look like, you little shit? I'm here to kill you!"  
Balrog dashed at me again. This man hasn't gotten any smarter since our last encounter. I throw the Energy Vacuum at him with force to disrupt his balance before landing a fierce palm on his jaw as he crashed next to me. I moved for a hammer fist, but he moves out of the way in time.  
Gaining his bearings, Balrog dashed once again. Instead of going for a straight, he contorted his body and spun to add momentum. I evaded the blow in time, the punch missing entirely. I slammed my shoulder against his chest before palming his chest and slamming a fist against his other cheek, sending him flying. He got up steaming.  
"AGH! STAY THE FUCK STILL!"  
Once again, Balrog rushed and unleashed a barrage of wild punches that I avoided or parried with ease. Moving behind him, I jumped on his shoulders and wrapped my legs around his neck, each of my strikes landing against his face containing malice. I then shifted my weight by moving around until I was in the position to grab his tank top with my hands. Falling backward, I threw the boxer behind me. Before I could follow up, Juri axed kicked his face, practically indenting his nose.  
"What the hell? How did he get here?" Juri asked.  
"No clue, but let's leave before he wakes up. I'm not in the mood for round three with his idiot," I muttered.  
"Agreed. Let's book it, sugar." We both ran for the rented car. "You sure held your own against him, though."  
"That wasn't our first encounter. We fought in Colombia, where I dislocated his left hand. He's had it out for me since. To think he'd follow me all the way out here in Kowloon."  
"I guess we're lucky we're headin' out in a few days. Shame I gotta leave you for a few days to get the plane in working order. I'll be back to take you and your kid sister to the airport. I'll explain everything else on the way." Juri gave a sultry smile. "And don't think I didn't notice your ex pecking your cheek."  
"What did you expect me to do? Not take it?"  
"No, you got good taste in women if Fu's any indication. She's a baddie, sugar. All the more reason to get close to you."  
We made it to the car and got in before hightailing it out of Kowloon. After Juri dropped me off, I won't see her again until she returned to Aberdeen to pick me and Jian me up.  
I made it back to the store as Jian cleaned the place up. She noticed me and ran up for a hug. "Da-ge. How was Kowloon?"  
"I got quite the story to tell, Jian. Let's go to Ren's. I'll explain everything over dinner."


End file.
